The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability, (ASEPA), has called on former President John Dramani Mahama to avail himself for interrogation into the Airbus scandal if he believed he’s clean.
For ASEPA, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) shouldn’t wait for an invitation from the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu to prove his innocence.
“Former President Mahama being fully aware of the gravity of these allegations must in our opinion; if indeed he wishes to clear any misconception that he is not “Government Official 1” proves that he walks the talk; that his leadership holds a better record in dealing with corruption by working with the OSP to ensure that the investigations are completed,” the Executive Secretary of the Anti-corruption and civil advocacy group, Mensah Thompson charged.
Martin Amidu earlier this week named Mahama who’s the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the December 7 presidential elections as the mysterious ‘government official 1’ in the Airbus scandal.
In a corruption risk assessment report on the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal, Amidu stated that his office “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.”
However, the only reason the former President had not been invited for interrogation was the fact that he got himself insurance as the Presidential candidate of the other largest political party in Ghana—an explanation ASEPA found ludicrously shocking.
Meanwhile, the former President has criticized the Special Prosecutor as a “coward” for naming him as the mysterious ‘government official 1’, daring him to invite for interrogation.
“In the Agyapa report, you know that it is going to be damning of this government and so you go and put one paragraph there about airbus. Nobody asked you about Airbus.
“If you were man enough present Agyapa and do a report on Airbus separately and then I will come and answer you on Airbus. If you think I am indicted on Airbus accuse me directly,” Mahama said.
“But because he is a coward and they knew Agyapa was going to be discussed today, so he put a paragraph on Airbus to equalize the discussion. What stupidity is this?” he added.
Mahama was on record to have denied any hand in the Airbus deal while serving as president of Ghana.
Back in June, he broke his silence on the issue, arguing that due diligence was followed 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,” he told the state-owned Daily Graphic.
