By: Nana Kwame Bediako
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has officially identified former President John Dramani Mahama as ‘Government Official 1’ in the widely discussed Airbus bribery scandal. However, the OSP has cleared him of any corruption charges. Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng made the announcement during a press conference held in Accra on Thursday 8th August, 2024.
In his statement, Special Prosecutor Agyebeng confirmed that Mr Mahama was the individual referenced in UK court documents as ‘Government Official 1’ and in the corresponding US court filings as ‘Individual 1’. This identification puts to rest speculation regarding the identity of the person involved.
“The OSP investigation found no evidence that former President Mahama was involved or played any role in the procurement and maintenance of the agency relationship between Airbus and Foster and his associates in respect of the purchase by the Government of Ghana of military transport aircraft from Airbus,” the report stated.
The Airbus scandal dates back to transactions made during John Mahama’s as term as Vice President, where Ghana procured military aircraft from the European aerospace giant. Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu launched investigations in 2020 into the matter, focusing on an agreement to purchase two military transport aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces under Mahama’s administration.
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