Excuse me SP, what about the late Mills investigation on Mahama's Embraer 190 aircrafts deal?

Whilst concerned Ghanaians are rightfully emitting their inexpressible disappointment over the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s somewhat puzzling conclusions on the investigation of Mahama’s alleged involvement in the Airbus embarrassing bribery scandal, we would like to plead with the Special Prosecutor to look into the late Mills abortive investigation on Mahama’s alleged dubious Brazilian Aircrafts deal as revealed by Mr Martin Amidu in sometime 2012.

Regrettably, the squeamishly cyclical corrupt practices amongst some political elites have been culminating in economic downslide amid excessive public spending, needless high public deficit and the creation of perverse incentives that stimulate income-seeking rather than productive activities.

If you may remember, sometime in 2012, Mr Martin Amidu audaciously came out and told the good people of Ghana that President Mills of blessed memory set up a Committee to investigate an alleged cloudy Brazilian aircraft purchases negotiated by the then Vice President John Dramani Mahama (Source: martinamidu.com).

Well, my dear reader, if frog pops out of water to pronounce the death of mighty crocodile, it would only take a disputatious character to confute such a chilling exposition.

Similarly, some of us could not have doubted the then Attorney General under Mills/Mahama administration, Mr Martin Amidu, when he emerged and informed the good people of Ghana that the late Mills suspected a foul play in the Brazilian aircrafts deal which was handled by Mahama, and therefore found it somewhat convenient to set up a committee to probe into the dubious deal.

To some of us, Ex-President Mahama can choose to claim birth right to incorruptibility, but we will only take him seriously if he comes clean on the Brazilian Aircraft deal as revealed by former Attorney General under the late Mills and the former Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu.

To be quite honest, some of us were extremely flabbergasted when Mr Martin Amidu revealed that the late Mills somehow lost trust in his vice president, Mahama over the dubious Brazilian Aircrafts deal and ordered an investigation.

It would be recalled that during his State of the Nation Address on 19th February 2009, the late President Mills informed the Parliament that his government was looking into the decision to acquire two executive Presidential jets.

However, the late President Mills was ambivalent over the acquisition of the aircrafts and thus observed: "Ghana simply cannot afford the expenditure at this time and we certainly do not need two Presidential Jets" (thestatesmanonline.com, 16/06/2016).

Astonishingly, however, whilst the late Mills was joyfully delivering his euphonious state of the nation address, the Vice President John Mahama, who also happened to be the chairman of the Armed Forces Council, was allegedly entertaining delegations from Brazil and busily negotiating the acquisition of five jets, including the most expensive hangar without the knowledge of the late President Mills.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, the late President Mills became suspicious of the whole deal and decided to put a committee together to review the deal, according to Mr Martin Amidu.

However, according to Mr Amidu, the late Mills could not put his foot down and woefully capitulated and allowed the Committee to somehow turn a blind eye to his directives.

In fact, there are serious questions here that discerning Ghanaians must mull over and probe carefully: is Ex-President Mahama indeed incorruptible?

Was the late Mills really unhappy about the conduct of his then Vice President, Mahama over the Brazilian Aircrafts deal?

Did the Committee indeed refuse to carry out President Mills directives?

If so, why did the Committee disobey the late Mills orders?

Well, my dear reader, please pay attention while we try to pin the ostensible straddled jigsaw together.

First, let us ruminate over the former Attorney General under the late Mills, Mr Martin Amidu’s chilling revelations on the corruption allegations.

My dear reader, it would be recalled that sometime in 2012, Mr Amidu came out and told the whole nation that in July 2011, there was a hue and cry about the prices for the acquisition of five (5) aircrafts for the Ghana Armed Forces.

Mr Amidu stressed that even though on 26th July 2011 the late Mills attempted to defend the purchase of the five aircrafts, he became convinced of the necessity to set up a Committee to investigate those purchases.

The overarching question here is: was the late Mills suspicious about the deal and felt Mahama was trying to rip off the nation?

Whatever the case, reflective thinkers can conclude that the late Mills was not happy with the deal. If that were not the case, why would he set up a Committee to investigate Mahama, the architect of the whole deal?

In fact, it is an indictment on President Mahama. Therefore the honest thing for him to do now is to come out and repudiate the corruption allegations, not just by words, but through actions.

That is, Ex-President Mahama must do the honest thing by allowing the Special Prosecutor to resume the investigations immediately without any constraints.

By doing this, discerning Ghanaians will then take him (Ex-President Mahama) much more seriously about his never ending incorruptibility claims.

Mr Amidu’s averment continues: “a Committee to Investigate the Processes of the Acquisition of Five Aircrafts (5) including Embraer 190 Aircraft and hanger for the Ghana Armed Forces consisting of Mr. William Aboah, Mr. George Amoah, and Brig. Gen. Allotey (Rtd) former Judge Advocate-General was put together”.

Based on the preceding revelations, I have no doubts whatsoever in my mind that Mr Amidu’s story is credible. First, Mr. Amidu went ahead and named the members of the Committee set up by the late President Mills.

Secondly, the fact that none of the Committee members has come out to repudiate or disassociate themselves from the allegations gives credence to Mr Amidu’s averment. The big question then is why did they keep quiet? Your guess is as good as mine.

Mr Amidu further avouched : “the terms of reference of the Committee as I was instructed and drafted them for the late President were: “(i) to investigate the processes adopted in selecting, negotiating, and agreeing on the acquisition of the aircrafts; (ii) to investigate the competitive advantage, prices of the aircrafts and the level of economic and financial due diligence conducted by relevant agencies in the process of acquisition of the aircrafts; and (iii) to investigate any other matter that in the opinion of the Committee is reasonably related to the foregoing terms of reference”. “Pressure groups never allowed the Committee to take off”.

“But the very fact that the late President Mills even contemplated this Committee meant that he was uncomfortable with and suspicious of the alleged inflated prices of the aircrafts”.

My dear reader, there we go. Amazing revelations! Did pressure groups really interfere with the work of a Committee set up by President of the nation?

Were the pressure groups from the then ruling NDC? If so, did they have vested interests in the purchasing of the aircrafts or what?

Well, dearest reader, whatever their reasons, their actions were unlawful and can best be described as an attempt to pervert the cause of justice.

Are we really serious as a nation at all, dearest reader? How on earth can pressure groups selfishly interfere in a legitimate Committee’s work?

You see, dearest reader, our problem as a nation is, we have sycophants, selfish and ‘nodding yes men and women’ who are only interested in amassing wealth at the expense of the masses. So they would go to every extent to achieve such objective.

Unquestionably, the Late President Mills put his trust in his Vice President Mahama, but if we are to believe Mr. Amidu’s account of the corruption saga, we can draw an adverse inference that former President Mahama betrayed the trust the late Mills reposed in him. It therefore explains why the late President Mills set up a committee to investigate him.

K. Badu, UK.

k.badu2011@gmail.com