Stephen Atubiga
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has threatened to throw the country into chaos should former President John Mahama be invited by any state institution to answer queries about the 5 million Euros Airbus scandal.
The party’s decision was revealed by Stephen Atubiga who broke the news on an Accra-based radio station a few days ago.
Air of Authority
With an unquestionable air of authority, he said, “It is a decision taken by the party that Mahama will not honour any invitation on Airbus; put me on record.”
Continuing, he said the party had taken a firm decision that under no circumstances should the former President speak on the subject.
On why the party has taken the decision, he said the subject is regarded by the opposition party as a politically motivated agenda and a smear campaign against the former President.
Serious Threat
Continuing with his threat, he said judges associated with the case would ‘vanish’.
He, however, did not elaborate on this although he had said emphatically that “any
judge who sits on such a case will vanish.”
Emphasizing the threat, he added that a mere letter inviting the former President is enough to ignite the spark he was talking about.
“This country will turn upside down if even a letter is sent to John Dramani Mahama on the Airbus matter,” Atubiga told his host on another network in Accra.
Uncontrollable Atubiga
An uncontrollable Stephen Atubiga, who made a prejudicial remark during the landmark presidential election petition hearing in 2013, was jailed for three days by the Justice William Atuguba-presided nine-member panel that heard the case.
During the radio interview, Atubiga, who claimed he was a poor man from Binduri, was stubborn and would not listen to the request by his host to be moderate and tone down on his bold claims.
He was the person Justice Atuguba described during the petition hearing as ‘someone who can burn down a market’ in obvious observation about his acerbic tongue.
NDC Silent
With a few days elapsing since Stephen Atubiga made the fiery and obvious actionable remarks, the NDC has not dissociated itself from the remarks hence, so far, its acquiescence cannot be in doubt.
Former President John Mahama has not spoken about the Airbus scandal in which a Government Official 1 in the UK investigations or Individual 1 per the US version has been named as taking about 5 million Euros in bribes from Airbus officials for the supply of aircraft for Ghana military within the period Mr. Mahama was Vice-President and subsequently became the President.
Clear View
In the UK Crown Court documents, the SFO names the elected NDC guru as ‘Government Official 1’ and that powerful official is the same person being referred to as ‘Individual 1’ in the US court documents.
In the same vein, ‘Intermediary 5’ in the UK court documents who has been described as the brother of the powerful elected official in Ghana is the same person being referred to as ‘Consultant 4’ by the US authorities.
NPP’s Daring Move
Members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have already claimed that Mr. Mahama is the person that investigations in the UK and the US revealed took the 5 million Euros bribes in respect of the sale of aircraft to Ghana by Airbus SE.
They have even dared him to come out and clear the air but unusual of him, the former President has gone silent ever since, not even his characteristic social media posts.
President Akufo-Addo has already referred the raging Airbus bribery scandal to the Special Prosecutor, Martin A. B. K. Amidu, for investigations and possible prosecution.
Deafening Silence
The former President speaks on every political issue in the country, especially when they relate to his administration, not the Airbus scandal though.
By A.R. Gomda