I'm disappointed in Amidu for naming me as govt official 1 - Mahama

Former President, John Dramani Mahama has said that he is disappointed in the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu for naming him as the ‘Government Official 1’ in the Airbus scandal.

Mr. Amidu in his report in the corruption risk assessment report on the Agyapa Royalties deal that he submitted to President Akufo-Addo on October 16, 2020, revealed that the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress was the one described as the ‘Government Official 1’.

“The only reason the former President [Mahama] has not been invited for interrogation (in spite of all threats from some of his followers and lawyers) is the fact that he got himself an insurance as the Presidential candidate of the other largest political party in Ghana.”

He added that “prudence dictated that the interrogation be held in abeyance during this election season,” Mr. Amidu stated in his report.

Reacting to this in an interview with Accra-based Starr FM, the former President expressed his disappointment in the Special Prosecutor saying that Amidu does not have any basis to proceed with the investigations.

"I’m disappointed in Martin Amidu for putting that paragraph in his report to equalize things. No financial benefit accrued to me. Not a single dollar...We are talking about a deferred prosecution agreement in which nobody’s names were mentioned and yet there’s been an inference that it must be this person, it must be that person and so legally, he doesn’t even have any basis to proceed, on what basis, on what document is he using for the proceeding?

“What investigations has he done? Who has he spoken to? What investigation has he conducted? He should come out and tell us…” Mr. Mahama told host Francis Abban.