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Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu has subtly named former President John Mahama as government official one.

Even though he didn't mention the name of the former President he cited an interview granted Daily Graphic on 20th June 2020.

Mahama broke his silence on the Airbus scandal last month dismissed allegations of wrongdoing in the purchase of the two Airbus aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces. He also debunked claims that he benefitted from the deal.

Crown Court Airbus Ruling

It would be recalled that on February 1, UK’s Royal Courts of Justice found Dutch firm Airbus SE guilty of paying bribes in shady deals in some countries including Ghana, South Korea, Mexico, Colombia and Malaysia.

For Ghana, the scandal involved government officials in 2011 and 2015 who negotiated for the deal with Airbus agents including Samuel Mahama believed to be a brother of former President John Mahama.

“Between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus defence company engaged Intermediary 5, a close relative of a high ranking elected Ghanaian Government official (Government Official 1) as its BP in respect of the proposed sale of three military transport aircraft to the Government of Ghana,” the ruling on Ghana’s deal read in part.

“A number of Airbus employees knew that Intermediary 5 was a close relative of Government Official 1, who was a key decision-maker in respect of the proposed sales. A number of Airbus employees made or promised success-based commission payments of approximately €5 million to Intermediary 5,” court documents reveal.

OSP Involvement

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo immediately referred the matter to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) with Martin Amidu, the Special Prosecutor launching a formal investigation into the scandal.

In February he announced he had summoned four people including British Actor Phil Middlemiss and Samuel Mahama and released their passport details online.

Government Official 1 unmasked

Martin Amidu in a statement issued on Friday 24th July 2020 said the government official 1 is related to Samuel Mahama by 'blood'

“amongst other reasons for the letter to the said Ministry, the Samuel Adam Mahama’s elder brother of full blood who without a doubt and the evidence available to this Office answers to the description of the elected Government Official 1 allegedly granted a denial interview to the Daily Graphic which published same on June 20, 2020, fortunately containing suspected admissions that he is the elected Government Official 1 referred to in the UK judgement.

Serving appointees of this government have been unable to obtain the voice recording of this interview to enable the Office to confront the former president with his own admissions in the interview as answering to the description to the brother of Samuel Adam Mahama as Intermediary 5” portion of his statement read.

Fly Adam Mahama to Ghana

Meanwhile, the SP has written to the Foreign Affairs Ministry requesting that Samuel Mahama who is on the Interpol wanted list, to be given an opportunity to accept to voluntarily evacuate to Ghana.

“Samuel Adam Mahama must be given the opportunity to voluntarily accept to return to Ghana and put himself upon the Republic of Ghana to vindicate himself and save this country of the millions of foreign exchange from the public purse that must be expended to extradite him to Ghana from the UK or any other country in execution of the Interpol Red Notice issued against him as a fugitive wanted for prosecution as published on 10 July 2020,” Mr Amidu wrote