Former President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed the description by Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu that he is the one referred to as Government Official 1 in the Airbus scandal.
Mr Mahama said the claim was disappointing because no proper investigation was done in the matter by Mr Amidu before he arrived at that conclusion.
Mr Amidu revealed in his observations in a corruption risk assessment report submitted to the Office of the President on Friday, October 16 that “the only reason the former President [Mahama] has not been invited for interrogation (in spite of all threats from some of his followers and lawyers) is the fact that he got himself an insurance as the Presidential candidate of the other largest political party in Ghana”.
He added that “prudence dictated that the interrogation be held in abeyance during this election season”.
Corruption allegations were levelled against government officials in the acquisition of three military aircraft by the government of Ghana between 2009 and 2015.
Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, is alleged to have paid bribes in Ghana when it sold the three military aircrafts.
The aerospace multinational admitted hiring the brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant for the pitch to sell the aircraft to the country.
Also, Airbus confessed paying the said consultant through a third party when its Compliance Unit raised red flags about the close relationship between the consultant and the top elected official, who was a key decision maker in the purchase of the military aircraft.
But speaking in an interview with Accra-based Starr FM Tuesday, November 3, Mr Mahama said: “I am disappointed in Martin Amidu for putting that paragraph in his report to equalize things. No financial benefit accrued to me.
“Not a single dollar…We are talking about a deferred prosecution agreement in which nobody’s names were mentioned and yet there’s been an inference that it must be this person, it must be that person and so legally, he doesn’t even have any basis to proceed, on what basis, on what document is he proceeding?” he said.
“What investigations has he done? Who has he spoken to? What investigation has he conducted? He should come out and tell us…” Mahama added.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana