Political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, suspects the government is hoarding more scandalous videos to scuttle the opposition National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) campaign ahead of the December elections.
According to him, the recent development of the Airbus corruption case, was one of many scandals which the major political parties were going to throw at each other just to weaken the popularity of the other.
In his view, “hoarding such acts only to use them or release videos of them in an election year politicises such acts and creates a severe setback for our quest to tackle corruption and grow our democracy.”
“Elections aren’t a contest of the release of scandals and hoarded videos of wrongdoings. If there are scandals and there are wrongdoings, I think it should be dealt with. If there are acts of criminalities, they should be tackled as soon as they are unearthed and discovered,” he stated in a Facebook post.
“You do not understand the true meaning of democracy if you seek to win an election, unseat a government or retain political power, not through a healthy contest of well thought through ideas, but through the release of hoarded scandals. Scandal politics do not win elections,” he said.
According to Prof. Gyampo, the release of dirty secrets of opponents in election years to gain favour of the electorate was needless and hinders the tackling of corruption in the country.
He advocated that uncovered corrupt dealings by government officials or party members be dealt with immediately they come out rather than hoarding them to be used as arsenals in election years.
“Once you release a scandal, the other political party who feels affected will also look for a scandal and also release just to equalise,” he stressed.
The two major political parties, the incumbent New Patriotic Party and the NDC have come at each other’s throats over scandals.
Airbus, Europe’s largest aerospace multinational, confessed to a High Court in London of paying huge bribes in order to secure contracts in Ghana, between 2011 and 2015.
The plane maker has been fined three billion pounds (£3bn) as penalties. Anti-corruption investigators, according to The Guardian Report, have 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.”
Several interested parties have reacted to how the development will affect the chances of the largest opposition in the country’s chances of reclaiming power in December.
Key actors in scandal
The judgement noted the existence of a ‘Government Official 1’ described as a high ranking and elected. There was also an Intermediary 5 who is noted as British national and close relative of Government Official 1.
There is a Company D which is a corporate vehicle for Intermediary 5, Intermediary 6 who is a British national and associate of Intermediary 5, Intermediary 7 who is also a British national and associate of Intermediary 5 and Intermediary 8 which is a Spanish company and front for Intermediary 5.
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has referred the case to the Special Prosecutor for probing.