The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has identified John Mahama as ‘Government Official One’ in the Airbus SE case. During a press briefing on August 8, 2024, the OSP confirmed that both UK and US courts referred to Mahama as Government Official One in their investigations.
The OSP clarified that there is no evidence linking John Mahama or Adam Mahama to corruption, and no criminal charges will be pursued against them. John Dramani Mahama, a former President and current flagbearer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), served as Vice President of Ghana during the relevant period.
The scandal involves Ghana’s purchase of three C295 military aircraft from Airbus, with the first delivered in November 2011, the second in April 2012, and the third in November 2015. These purchases were part of the 2009-2012 Strategic Plan for the Ghana Armed Forces and were approved by Ghana’s Parliament despite some disagreements.
The financing for the initial two C295 aircraft came from a €60,034,636 loan from Deutsche Bank S.A.E., while an additional €11,750,000 loan from Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited was approved for two DA42 MPP Guardian surveillance aircraft. Parliament also sanctioned a $105,370,177.09 loan from the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) for an Embraer E190 jet, including spare parts, accessories, and the construction of a large aircraft hangar.
Before the loan approvals, Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu raised concerns about the deals, alleging that the contract sums were inflated by the government.
