Airbus Scandal: OSP investigations confirm Mahama as ‘Government Official One’

Former President and Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has confirmed that former President John Dramani Mahama is indeed the person described as Government Official One in the Airbus Scandal.

Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng announced this at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, August 8, after completing its investigations into the scandal.

“The OSP confirms the identity of the following individuals. The individual described as Government Official 1 by the UK court and Individual 1 by the US court is John Dramani Mahama. He is a citizen of Ghana and was the Vice-president of Ghana from 7 January 2009 to 24 July 2012,” the Special Prosecutor said.

In his briefing, Kissi Agyebeng further cleared John Dramani Mahama of allegations of accepting bribes in the deal between the government of Ghana and Airbus.

The Special Prosecutor said his Office found no evidence during its investigations to substantiate the allegation of bribery against the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“The OSP found no evidentiary basis that suggests that Samuel Adam Foster also known as Samuel Adam Mahama, and Sarah Davies received payment from Airbus with the intention of bribing former President John Dramani Mahama or any other public official. Further, the OSP found no evidential basis that suggests that former President John Dramani Mahama or any other public official was paid bribes by Samuel Adam Foster also known as Samuel Adam Mahama in respect of the purchase of Government of Ghana military transport aircraft from Airbus,” Kissi Agyebeng told the press.

Background:
Ghana bought three Military Airplanes - C295s - from Airbus. The nation received its first C295 in November 2011. The second aircraft was received in April 2012 and the third in November 2015.

The deals covering them were argued at the time to be in line with the 2009-2012 Strategic Plan of the Ghana Armed Forces.

All three purchases, approved by Ghana's Parliament after heated disagreements on the floor, were roundly marketed by the government of the day as a drive to modernize Ghana's Air Force.