Mahama collected no bribes in Airbus scandal - OSP

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has cleared former President John Mahama of any bribery and wrongdoing after its investigations into the Airbus SE scandal, which began in February 2020.

Briefing journalists on Thursday, August 8, 2024, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, said after its investigations, it could not establish any evidence to suggest that John Mahama or any public official received bribes from Airbus SE.

“Consequently, the OSP found no evidentiary basis that suggests that Samuel Adam Foster, also known as Samuel Adam Mahama, Philip Shun Middlemerth, and Lean Sarah Davies acted as conduits of bribery between the employees of Airbus and Former President John Mahama or any other public official.

“Also, the OSP found no evidentiary basis that suggests that Samuel Adam Mahama, Philip Shun Middlerts, and Lean Sarah Davies received payments from Airbus with the intention of bribing former President John Dramani Mahama or any other public official.

“Further, the OSP found no evidentiary basis that suggests that Former President John Mahama or any other public official was paid bribes by Samuel Adam Foster, also known as Samuel Adam Mahama, Philip Shun Middlemerth, and Lean Sarah Davies in respect of the purchase by the government of Ghana of Military transport aircraft from Airbus,” he noted.

Ghana bought three Military Airplanes – C295s – from Airbus. The nation received its first C295 in November 2011. The second aircraft was received in April 2012 and the third in November 2015. The deals covering them were argued at the time to be in line with the 2009-2012 Strategic Plan of the Ghana Armed Forces.

All three purchases, approved by Ghana’s Parliament after heated disagreements on the floor, were roundly marketed by the government of the day as a drive to modernise Ghana’s Air Force.

Funding for the first two C295s came from a €60,034,636 loan facility from Deutsche Bank S.A.E. A further €11,750,000 loan from Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited was also approved by Parliament during the period for the acquisition of two DA42 MPP Guardian surveillance aircraft for the Ghana Airforce.

The House also approved a total loan sum of $105,370,177.09 from the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) for the purchase of an Embraer E190 jet for the country. The Embraer agreement was to cover related spare parts, relevant accessories, as well as the construction of an aircraft hangar big enough to house three large aircraft.

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