The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly known as ‘Chairman Wontumi’ has taken ex-President Mahama to the cleaners for allegedly tarnishing the reputation of the country with his alleged involvement in shady deals, MyNewsGh.com reports.
In a media interview monitored by MyNewsGh.com, the
outspoken Chairman who on countless occasion has declared his personal
dislike for Mr Mahama, he stated that the Airbus scandal which has
rocked the country in recent times has left a dent on the good image of
Ghana on the minds of the international community and investors, blaming
ex-President Mahama for the ‘shame’.
He said the ex-President
is not clean when the argument of corruption comes up as he has been
affected by the canker like ‘coronavirus’, adding that he and corruption
are like sesame twins.
“President Mahama, his bottom is not
clean. Corruption has affected him like Coronavirus. When we are talking
about coronavirus, we are talking about the one from Burkina that he
charged $100,000. We are talking about the President getting himself
involved as government official 1.”
Listen when we talk about
corruption, former President Mahama, when he sees corruption, he will
enter.” He said against the host’s inclination of him withdrawal some of
his comments.
Background
According to USA and UK
court documents, Airbus SE, an European aircraft manufacturer is
alleged to have paid bribes to top government officials between 2009 and
2015 under the erstwhile John Mahama administration when it sold three
military aircraft to the country.
The revelation came to light after nearly four years of
investigations by authorities in the United States of America (USA), the
United Kingdom (UK) and France into the business operations of Airbus,
which culminated in the company being fined $3.9 billion for its corrupt
practices in Ghana, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Taiwan within
the same period.
The aerospace multinational admitted hiring the
brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant for the
pitch to sell the aircraft to the country.
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.
Arguments
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused former President
John Dramani Mahama of being one of the officials captured in the exposé
referred to as elected government official 1.
Addressing a
press conference in Accra on Monday, February 3, 2020, the
Communications Director of the NPP, Mr Yaw Buaben Asamoa, told the press
that the former President cannot exonerate himself of the revelation as
the narratives fit into a description in his ‘first coup d’etat’ book
and also himself.
Denial
But, the NDC which was the party
in government at the time, in a statement signed by a former
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong
said; “The reports alleging that Airbus SE paid bribes during the
administration of President John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani
Mahama are false, misleading and do not reflect the approved judgement.”
The President, Akufo-Addo on Monday, February 03, 2020, referred the
issue to the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu asking for a speedy
investigation to unravel the mystery.
SOURCE:ghanaweb.com