The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama has accused the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu of deliberately mentioning his name and the Airbus scandal in the Agyapa report in a bid to equalize wrongdoing.
Mr. Amidu in his corruption assessment report on the Agyapa deal said he is holding on with investigations into Mr. Mahama’s alleged involvement in the infamous Airbus bribery scandal till after the December 7 general elections.
The Special Prosecutor in the report also disclosed that Mr. Mahama’s links to the deal had been noted, but the probe had only been suspended due to the electioneering campaign.
“This Office has established the identity of elected Government official 1 to be former President John Dramani Mahama whose brother of the full blood is Samuel Adam Foster also known as Samuel Adam Mahama. The only reason the former President 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 insurance as the presidential candidate of the other largest political party in Ghana and prudence dictated that the interrogation be held in abeyance during this election season.”
But John Mahama who was disappointed at Mr. Amidu said no financial benefit accrued to him from the Airbus deal as being speculated.
Mr. Mahama in an interview with Starr FM challenged Martin Amidu to release any investigation report on the Airbus scandal that implicates him.
“It is obvious why that paragraph was put in there. I mean this damning report was coming, and I am disappointed in Martin Amidu to have put that paragraph there just to equalize and bring Airbus as if it was a major issue. I have had my say on the Airbus issue and no financial benefit was accrued to me, not a single dollar.”
“The point even there is that, there is no basis because we are talking of deferred prosecution agreement in which nobody’s name was mentioned but there’s been an inference that it must be this person or that person and so legally, he has no legal basis to proceed and on what document is he proceeding with? Who has he spoken to and what investigation conducted, he should come and say it.”
Meanwhile, the former President has also called for the complete withdrawal of the Agyapa deal following the corruption risk assessment report released by the Special Prosecutor.
According to John Mahama, there must be an entirely new discussion on how the country’s gold royalties should be used.
“The issue about no guarantees for value for money, bid-rigging and all that, those were the allegations that came up as soon as the agreement was laid in Parliament. It was also fast-tracked without giving sufficient time to MPs to scrutinise it. It was passed quickly. Certainly whoever was sending it wanted it approved as quickly as possible so that these things would be covered up but the Special Prosecutor kicked in and raised issues.”
“For me, the issue is not about retaining it to Parliament for review. I think it should be withdrawn completely as there is no hurry to bring it back and a whole need should be taken about what we want to do with our gold royalties.”
