Former President John Dramani Mahama has served notice that since the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has made the issue of corruption a major item of debate in the lead-up to the 2020 elections, he has readily picked up the gauntlet.
“I intend to address all the allegations of corruption made against me over the years, and I will also take on fully, Nana Akufo-Addo on his own record of corruption,” he stated in an interview with the Daily Graphic.
Mr Mahama, who was speaking in his first public comments on the Airbus saga, debunked claims that he personally benefitted from the deal financially.
He also dismissed allegations of wrongdoing in the purchase of the two aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces.
“Let me state without any equivocation that no financial benefit accrued to me. Neither was there any form of inducement in the purchase of the aircraft. My singular motivation was to equip and retool the Ghana Armed Forces in a manner that would make the discharge of their national and international roles efficient and less burdensome and for all the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform make, they do not deserve less”.
“I am happy that the said aircraft have become the backbone of the Ghana Air Force and its operations. They are used for troop transportation, logistics deployment and medical evacuation,” the former President stated.
Background
Earlier this year, news went viral that Airbus, Europe’s largest aerospace multinational, admitted paying huge bribes in order to secure contracts in Ghana, under the erstwhile Mills-Mahama administration.
Airbus was found guilty by a High Court in London and is to pay a fine of 3 billion pounds (£3bn) as penalties. Anti-corruption investigators according to The Guardian Report, has described the court's decision as the largest ever corporate fine for bribery in the world after judges declared the corruption was “grave, pervasive and pernicious.”
Ghana under late President John Atta-Mills in 2011 and former President John Mahama in 2015, acquired three Airbus C295 planes from the company as part of an effort to augment and modernize the fleet of the Ghana Armed Forces.
It emerged that the first order of the military aeroplane arrived in the country on November 17, 2011, followed by a second on March 19, 2012. The last order arrived in the country on December 4, 2015.
President John Dramani Mahama, in November 2014, announced that Ghana was to acquire an additional C295, in addition to other aircraft, including five Super Tucanos, Mi-17s and four Z-9s.
A total of about $150 million was spent in acquiring all the three aircraft, one of which overshot the runway recently. Ghana's Ministry of Defence stated that the accident happened because the aircraft had not gone for its scheduled maintenance.
Following the naming and involvement of former high-ranking former Ghanaian officials in the scandal, Ghana’s Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu launched further investigations into the matter in February.
Special Prosecutor Invitation
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in March invited four individuals to assist in investigations into the alleged act of bribery and related offence in the purchase of three aircrafts from Airbus SE for Ghana.
A public notice by the OSP said the individuals identified by acronym in the Statement of Facts and accepted as findings of fact in a judgement of the UK Crown Court are to assist in the investigation of corruption and corruption-related offences in the purchase of the Aircraft.
A public notice by the OSP said: "SAMUEL ADAM FOSTER a. k. a. SAMUEL ADAM MAHAMA a UK/Ghanaian citizen, and the three other UK nationals: PHILIP SEAN MIDDLEMISS, LEANNE SARAH DAVIS and SARAH FURNEAUX are hereby invited to assist the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the on-going investigation of bribery and corruption involving in excess of 3,596,523.00 Euros and 1,665,000.00 Euros respectively, and collaborating with Ghanaian public Officers to use their public office for private profit or benefit in the purchase of three (3) C-295 aircraft by the Government of Ghana from Airbus SE".
Source: Peacefmonline/Ghana
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buei me nam na me tete. eh!!!!!! JDM wo se den? watch the wool there before trying a fire jump wai. internationally acclaimed ketasehye eh!!! kwe mo l3 djobwa
IF I WERE MAHAMA I WOULD NOT EVEN RESPOND TO THIS ISSUE. YOU THINK FOREIGN MEDIA AND AGENCIES ARE DAFTS JUST AS YOU THINK GHANAIANS ARE PLEASE. 2. PLEASE WHO IS GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1. 3. YOU NEVER DISPUTED THE EASTERN COORIDOR ROAD BRIBE REPORT FROM CHRAJ. DID YOU? LOOK AT THE STATE OF THE ROAD AFTER THE TAKING THE FORD EXPEDITION.
Prove your case with Evidence, either than this you forget till 2032 period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2020 is the first time Mahama is running for presidency on his own abilities, integrity, vision and leadership capabilities after winning the nomination to run for office and he has messed up big time. He has previously stayed in office on the sympathy vote he had after Mills's death led us into one of the most auto-piloted governance in this country. 2020 as he stands on his own two feet to espouse his vision and leadership skills, he has been exposed as an empty barrel we suspected when in office and even worse now. Can't put a credible team together after winning the nomination to think and design a comprehensive visionary and economic transformational plan to drum about for all this while. Just as he is incapable to lead any group of people, he surrounded himself with lies, ***barred word***, corrupts minds, always scheming evil to attain power. Such character always disappears like chaffs. Mahama never helped groom quality young people in NDC who have integrity, respectful, have a vision, daring to do better for Ghana, incorruptible, patriotic, ambitious to be the best as a country on the continent, higher standards and progressive. These are clearly shown in the party today with none having a mind on their own to dare to be different and not follow blindly. As it stands now there is no single presidential material in NDC for 2024 and this is worrying. He has single handily infected NDC with corrupt and lazy minds, hence the output of insult, propaganda, scheming, lies, no message etc. Nana Addo has raised the bar for anyone who want to be president of Ghana. If you don,t have such quality, then you have a long way to go.
Dear former President Mahama, never think that you can always go scot-free in act of corruption when you engage people to front you in the act. Hence, I entreat you in this early stage of the investigation, not to be too complacent about your craft of ingenuity and criminality. You are not done yet so long as the investigation is ongoing. I wish to remind you that, your irresponsible and childish opinion that you can equally lie and say the truth in the heat of political campaigns can be said only to the gullible. Party political campaigns should be factual and issue-based to depict credibility, competence in governance, and economic management. Political polemics and propaganda can be tactfully applied but at the end of the day credibility, respect for the electorates, and fairness of your claims against your opponents should not be curtailed.
Mr. Flagbearer eeeeeeeeee, your own mother Akua Donkor even said we should not vote for you. Even that, who told you we are voting for you. FORGET IT. It wont happen in Ghana. You think we are .................................................. We have not forgotten anything. It is still fresh in our mind. 4more4Nana. THE BATTLE IS STILL, THE LORDS.
So who did, and who is government official 1?
BBC: Mr president have you taken bribe before? Mahama: you mean as a human being , or as a president or as a ***barred word***? The thing fell on the man and he just couldn't talk.who you truly are cannot be hidden, its all over you . your brain will try to lie but your mouth will say the truth under pressure.
You should be tired GO1
I am excited about how people are reasoning and it tell you cannot take Ghana man for granted. if the entire population is brought to a place where they know and can tell what deception is we will be so better off and such wicked stteeeiling politicians will not have the opportunity to come and waste our 8 years and put thier name on history they dont deserve. mahamas name and picture appeared on a news paper in Britain on this saga . Have mahama taken them on to retract? have them taken them to court? this your airbus wahala is not a battle with NPP where you can throw dust , it is with British court so please go there and start the fight there. Ghanaians are not as stuoepid as you think and are memory is good,