Mahama to speak on Airbus bribery scandal-Okudzeto Ablakwa

Former President, John Dramani Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama is to speak on the Airbus bribery scandal levelled against the National Democratic Congress government.

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed this on Joy FM’s super morning show Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

This comes on the back of calls by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the NDC flagbearer should come out and respond to allegations that an individual close to a top government official was bribed by Airbus between 2011 and 2015.

Speaking on the show, Okudzeto Ablakwa indicated the former President will be speaking on the matter in a move aimed at ‘clearing the air’.

In the meantime, Mr Ablakwa has advised Ghanaians, especially media practitioners, to desist from conjecturing and pointing fingers at the former President since he can take legal actions against any individual who does same. “Mr Mahama is a citizen like all of us, he can decide to take serious legal action against what Mr Braimah has done and I love Joy FM but you have to be careful because you can also be held liable in any legal action. His excellency the former President will speak on this matter but we should be extremely careful to respect his rights and to desist from engaging in this wild, speculative vituperations, that is all we are engaged in. Elected government official 1 can be anybody. Members of Parliament who become Ministers of State as constitution allows can be elected government official,” Okudzeto Ablakwa indicated.

A case in reference was made of the Executive Director for the Media Foundation for West Africa, Sulemana Braimah, who in an ‘indebt’ analysis deduced from the UK Court documents available to the media that Mr John Mahama is the referred ‘Government Official 1’.

Expressing his disappointment in Mr Braimah, the North Tongu legislator said, “If you look at the gravity of this matter, you will expect that he will have some authority giving him information, then we will be taking his analysis serious. But all he’s done is to engage in guesswork which he tells young journalists in his journalism class not to engage in so I’m really disappointed.”

Mr Okudzeto insisted that the NDC government had not been sworn in as at the time the deal occurred which defeats any argument that John Mahama is Government official 1.

“January 1, 2009, had the NDC been sworn in? the NDC came into power January 7, 2009, so who was the elected government official,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo has referred the bribery allegation scandal to the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu to take immediate action in collaboration with his UK counterparts and bring the government official, past or present to book.

Although many have challenged the ability of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to effectively deliver on this task, the government says it is confident that the Office will do a good job.

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