Why is Mahama silent on Airbus corruption scandal? - Kofi Akpaloo asks

Kofi Akpaloo, Founder and Leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), has challenged former President John Mahama to speak on allegations in relation to the Airbus corruption scandal.

The presidential hopeful challenged Mr Mahama to come out and respond to allegations that an individual close to a top government official was bribed by Airbus between 2011 and 2015.

Mr. Akpaloo said the €35 million involved in the purchase of the aircraft as at that the time was equivalent to $40 million and asked, “why should we spend $40 million to buy an aircraft that was selling at $25 million?”

“Mahama should come out and tell us if he was involved or not and if he wasn’t who was because he was the President of Ghana at that time,” Kofi Akpaloo told Kwaku Dawuro on ‘Pae Mu Ka’ on Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7.

“Now when you mention Ghana anywhere around the world, people associate it with bribery and corruption. Mr Mahama needs to help us fight it by addressing this issue.”

“Mahama must speak on the Airbus scandal and stop inciting violence by attacking the Electoral commission,” he added.

“The former president known to be an astute communications specialist should not have difficulty in just denying his involvement in this international embarrassment, but his critics are having a field day since the issue broke.”

Background

Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, is alleged to have paid bribes in Ghana when it sold the three-military aircraft to the country.

The company admitted hiring the brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant in the sale of the aircraft.

Also, Airbus confessed paying the said consultant through a third party when its Compliance Unit raised red flags about the close relationship between the consultant and the top elected official who was a key decision maker in the purchase of the military aircraft.