Airbus SE scandal: Akufo-Addo and Bawumia should avail themselves for accountability after tenure of office – Mahama

The office of the flag bearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, has challenged President Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to avail themselves for accountability after their tenure of office.

In a statement issued by the office after the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) cleared him of any wrongdoing, it said just as the former President availed himself for probe by the OSP, Akufo-Addo and Bawumia should do same.

“President Mahama has always made himself available for any investigation. He has consistently stated that he has nothing to hide and has been ready to cooperate fully with any inquiry.

“In this spirit, we extend the same challenge to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and President Akufo-Addo to subject themselves to equal scrutiny and transparency as we strive for accountability in our leadership,” portions of the statement issued by the Office of John Mahama stated.

His comments come on the back of findings of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), acquitting the former President of the scandal where it was determined that John Mahama was ‘Government Official 1’.

In an update given to Ghanaians on its investigations on the scandal Thursday, August 08, 2024, William Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, indicated that John Dramani Mahama, the former President and now flag bearer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was Vice President at the time the incident happened.

He says it was expected that bribes which were to be given to Samuel Adam Mahama, a brother to John Mahama, would have been benefited by the former President, however, the OSP says Mahama did not benefit.

Meanwhile, the OSP says the laws of the UK and US which established criminal culpability in the matter cannot be applied in Ghana since the three countries are not same.

“The UK and US judicial decisions only established criminal culpability in the context of the laws of the two jurisdictions. It does not automatically follow that the acts accepted as proved beyond reasonable doubt in the UK and US amount to criminal offences in Ghana.

“To rely solely in the UK and US decisions to without more, as proof of criminal culpability, will be akin to seeking to enforce the criminal laws of the UK and US in Ghana, which is impermissible,” he indicated.

In his response, John Mahama said the probe the government conducted was meant to frame him but to no avail.

“Despite the UK’s Serious Fraud Office clarifying that Mahama’s brother and others involved had no case to answer, the ruling government persisted in framing this scandal as a tool for political advantage,” Mahama said in a response statement issued Thursday, August 08, 2024.

Below is the full statement from Mahama’s office:

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.

Despite the UK’s Serious Fraud Office clarifying that Mahama’s brother and others involved had no case to answer, the ruling government persisted in framing this scandal as a tool for political advantage.

We also note the OSP’s revelation that President Nana Akufo-Addo personally requested that President Mahama be investigated. This casts an even darker shadow on the motives behind the initial accusations, which were planted to tarnish the reputation of an innocent man.

The lies and fabricated stories against President Mahama over the last eight years have been consistently proven false.

President Mahama has always made himself available for any investigation. He has consistently stated that he has nothing to hide and has been ready to cooperate fully with any inquiry.

In this spirit, we extend the same challenge to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and President Akufo-Addo to subject themselves to equal scrutiny and transparency as we strive for accountability in our leadership.

Mahama remains committed to Ghana’s progress and the fight against corruption in all its forms. He will continue to advocate for a better Ghana for all and

Source:onuaonline.com