The Office of former President John Dramani Mahama has expressed satisfaction with the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) ruling that clears him of any wrongdoing in the controversial Airbus ‘scandal.’
In a press statement issued on Thursday, August 8, the office emphasized that Mr Mahama has always been a man of integrity, committed to the principles of honesty and transparency.
The statement further noted that the OSP’s findings vindicate Mr Mahama, revealing the baseless nature of the allegations against him.
Additionally, the Office criticised the ruling government, accusing it of attempting to exploit the matter for political gain, only to have its efforts exposed by the OSP’s ruling.
“The Office of HE John Dramani Mahama wishes to express profound satisfaction with the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) ruling, which exonerates the former president from allegations in the Airbus ‘scandal’.”
“The OSP’s ruling reaffirms what we have always known: John Dramani Mahama is a man of integrity, a leader committed to the principles of honesty and transparency.”
“The facts of this case have been available, and the public has observed the machinations behind the scenes—including the disingenuous attempts by the current ruling government to exploit this matter for political gain,” an excerpt of the statement said.
In 2020, former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu identified former President John Dramani Mahama as the mysterious ‘Government Official 1’ in the Airbus scandal involving the procurement of aircraft for the Government of Ghana.
Although Mr Mahama denied the accusation, members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) continued to insist on his involvement in the bribery scandal.
However, during a press conference on Thursday, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng stated that his office, after a thorough investigation, found “no evidence” of corruption against the former President.
Mr Agyebeng further clarified that the processes leading to the purchase of the military aircraft adhered to all necessary procurement standards.
“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.”
“And it appears to the OSP that the direct communications and meetings between former President Mahama and officials of Airbus to close the deal were actuated by good intentions on the part of the former,” he stated.
Below is the full statement