Airbus scandal: Mere receipt of payment doesn’t mean bribery or corruption - Mahama’s Aide

Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, believes nothing positive will come out of the latest investigation into the infamous Airbus Company bribery scandal by the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is reported to have invited four individuals to assist in investigations into an alleged act of bribery and related offence in the purchase of three aircrafts from Airbus SE for Ghana.

The OSP, upon completion of a preliminary investigation, invited a UK/Ghanaian citizen Samuel Adam Foster alias Samuel Adam Mahama and UK nationals; Philip Sean Middlemiss; Sarah Davis and Sarah Furneaux.

A public notice by the OSP said: "SAMUEL ADAM FOSTER a. k. a. SAMUEL ADAM MAHAMA a UK/Ghanaian citizen, and the three other UK nationals: PHILIP SEAN MIDDLEMISS, LEANNE SARAH DAVIS and SARAH FURNEAUX are hereby invited to assist the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the on-going investigation of bribery and corruption involving in excess of 3,596,523.00 Euros and 1,665,000.00 Euros respectively, and collaborating with Ghanaian public Officers to use their public office for private profit or benefit in the purchase of three (3) C-295 aircraft by the Government of Ghana from Airbus SE".

Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe said the Government of Ghana at that time of the transaction, never paid a dime to any company owned by Samuel Mahama or any other person for the work that they did. Neither did Mr Mahama nor any of the figures mentioned acted as an agent for the Government of Ghana.

“In all the Airbus transaction for the airplane, the Government of Ghana has never given any company whether owned by Samuel or any other person Ghc1 Cedi of the tax-payer’s money for work that they have done . . .”

“They were brought into the transaction by Airbus; they were paid by Airbus and that is what it is. Before Airbus paid them for their service, Airbus Company did not come to government of Ghana for approval; that is their own internal arrangement and so it is for them to resolve their own problems,” he indicated.

He was of the view that “the Ghanaian authorities, in terms of the legal authorities are very clear that the mere payment of money does not constitute bribery. The most important things at all times is that the mere receipt of payment by even a public official does not mean bribery and corruption unless it is shown that by reason of that money, he was influenced to do something”.