Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of IMANI Africa, has challenged the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former President John Dramani Mahama to accept the designation of “Government Official 1” as concluded by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
In a recent Facebook post, Cudjoe asked whether the NDC and Mahama will now acknowledge this identification following the OSP’s findings.
This inquiry follows reactions from Mahama’s spokesperson, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, who criticized the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for allegedly using the investigation to tarnish Mahama’s reputation. Mogtari argued that the NPP’s pursuit of the case aimed to malign Mahama rather than seek justice.
The OSP’s investigation into the Airbus bribery scandal has identified John Dramani Mahama as “Government Official 1,” a term the UK and US courts used to describe a key figure in the case.
The OSP confirmed that Mahama, who served as Ghana’s Vice President from January 2009 to July 2012, was the individual referenced in the case.
The Airbus scandal involved allegations of bribery related to Ghana’s purchase of military aircraft, with court documents revealing that Airbus officials used intermediaries to influence decisions.
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) conducted a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with Airbus, resulting in a £3 billion settlement but allowing the company to avoid immediate prosecution.
The SFO’s investigation exposed schemes to bribe intermediaries linked to high-ranking Ghanaian officials during Mahama’s tenure.
The controversy surrounding Mahama’s identification as “Government Official 1” has sparked a political debate, with various parties questioning the investigation’s motivations and implications for Ghanaian politics.
