The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, after the completion of preliminary investigation into an alleged act of purchase of three aircrafts from Airbus SE for Ghana, has invited four persons to answer questions relatingon to their roles in an alleged act of bribery and other offences in the sale and purchase of the aircraft.
According to the Special Prosecutor, Samuel Mahama, who is described as a brother of former President John Mahama as well as three other British nationals, namely Philip Sean Middlemiss, Sarah Davis and Sarah Furneaux, are required to make themselves available for questioning.
On January 31, 2020, Ghana was named as one of five countries in which global aerospace group, Airbus SE, paid or promised payment to some senior officials in exchange for contracts, leading a court in Britain to slap a fine of £3 billion on the company.
The document also alleged that contrary to section 7 of the UK’s Bribery Act 2010, Airbus failed to prevent persons associated with it from “bribing others concerned with the purchase of military transport aircraft by the Government of Ghana, where the said bribery was intended to obtain or retain business or advantage in the conduct of business.”
President Akufo-Addo referred the Airbus Bribery Scandal to the Office of the Special Prosecutor for further investigations.
A public notice by the OSP on March 31 in the Daily Graphic said the individuals identified by an acronym in the Statement of Facts and accepted as findings of fact in a judgement of the UK Crown Court are to assist in the investigation of corruption and corruption-related offences in the purchase of the Aircraft.
