The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has replied former President John Mahama, saying he is not stupid nor a coward.
It would be recalled that recently while reacting to the Special Prosecutor’s report on the Airbus scandal which says he (Mahama) is Government Official 1, called Mr Amidu “a coward” who indicted him out of fear and without sound legal basis.
Mr Mahama made the remarks while addressing students at the University of Ghana on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of his campaign tour of the Greater Accra Region.
“Amidu goes and present Agyapa shares, Agyapa investigation and I thought he was man enough,” Mr Mahama said.
“They say investigate Agyapa, present a report on Agyapa, if you investigated Airbus, present a report on Airbus,” the former President who is the flagbearer of the NDC for the December 7, 2020 elections, said.
“But in the Agyapa report, you know that it’s going to be damning of this Government, you go and put one paragraph there about Airbus. Nobody ask you about Airbus. If you were man enough, present Agyapa, and do a report on Airbus separate and then I will come as a man and answer you on Airbus. If you think I am indicted on Airbus, accuse me directly. But because he is a coward and he knew they were going to discuss Agyapa, so put a paragraph on Airbus to equalize the discussion. I mean, what stupidity is this,” he added.
“You are investigating Agyapa, present a report on Agyapa,” according to Mr Mahama.
He said Mr Amidu was afraid to focus solely on the Agyapa gold royalty deal because he had indicted the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Attta, saying “I thought he (Amidu) was man enough.
But in a statement dated November 9, 2020, the Special Prosecutor said there was nothing stupid about his report.
According to him, “there is no question of stupidity or cowardice about it. Any person aspiring to be President of Ghana for a second term who does not know that a cardinal principle in security and intelligence is that “caution is the better part of valour” and was not and is not worth the vote.”
He said “former President John Dramani Mahama cannot pick and choose from the Agyapa Royalties limited report. The last sentence in the first paragraph on page 54 of the report offered former President John Dramani Mahama the opportunity to voluntarily come forward and make a cautioned statement.”
What Amidu Says In His Report
It would be recalled that in his report, Mr Amidu referred to former Mr Mahama as the elected Government official one in the Airbus bribery scandal.
The report says the Office of the Special Prosecutor, “has established the identity of elected Government Official 1 to be former President John Mahama whose brother of the full blood is Samuel Adam Foster also known as Samuel Adam Mahama.”
According to the report, “the only reason the former President has not been invited for interrogation (in spite of all threats from some of his followers and lawyers) is the fact that he himself got an insurance as the Presidential Candidate of the other largest political party in Ghana and prudence dictated that the interrogation be held in abeyance during this election season.”
It said the former President has also not offered to make any voluntary statement to the Office of the Special Prosecutor despite the publication of an alleged interview containing admissions purportedly made by the former President to a Daily Guide reporter without the full voice recording which in the meantime remains just a hearsay.
European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus is alleged to have bribed Ghanaian Government officials during the late Mills’ administration in which Mr Mahama was a vice president.
Mr Mahama was in charge of the purchase of three aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces from Airbus and reports indicated that Airbus offered bribe, at least $5 million.
Below is the Special Prosecutor’s statement
By Melvin Tarlue