Austine Woode, a controversial and outspoken broadcast journalist with Abusua 96.5 FM, the EIB Network owned radio outfit based in Kumasi has written this interesting piece.
Taking to social media, the broadcast journalist questioned the credibility of the Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi. He again quizzed whether he was now acting as a communications officer for thieves by responding to questions regarding persons involved in the Airbus scandal like he’s their spokesperson.
Read his piece below
Airbus is an airplane manufacturing company and earlier this year 2020, the crown court in UK and another court in USA found them guilty of paying bribes in sale of airplanes to some countries
Airbus accepted their officials did this and entered into a default judgement.
Ghana was part of the countries that bought airplanes from Airbus and it appeared in court that the Ghana deal was part of the ones involved in the bribery.
The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo wrote to the office of Special Prosecutor to investigate this because it was in the default judgement that some Ghanaian public officials were part of the bribery scandal.
The main debate has been who is Government Official 1(Ghana) as said in the UK judgement.
The NPP apparatchiks have said it is the former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama who was then Vice President at the time the sale was made.
The NDC cohorts have however denied this and asked the OSP to duly investigate the matter.
For over 5 months, President Mahama was quiet on this and many questioned why he hadn’t spoken about the Airbus matter when he was Vice President and others have even cited him as that GO1 in the UK judgement.
President Mahama a month ago spoke to the State-owned Daily Graphic and said there was no evidence that suggests that the government of President Atta Mills where he was Veep did any wrong in that deal and he as Veep who spearheaded the purchase DID NOT benefit financially or did anything wrong in the Airbus deal.
I have spent the whole of last night and this morning reading the whole default judgement from UK and USA and I can say without a shred of doubt that the person referred to as Government Official 1 in the UK judgement is Vice President Mahama who became President of Ghana from July 2012-January 7 2017
My reasons are contained in extracts from the judgement below
53. Between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus defense company engaged Intermediary 5, a close relative of a high ranking elected Ghanaian Government official (Government Official 1) as its BP in respect of the proposed sale of three military transport aircraft to the Government of Ghana. A number of Airbus employees knew that Intermediary 5 was a close relative of Government Official 1, who was a key decision-maker in respect of the proposed sales.
A number of Airbus employees made or promised success-based commission payments of approximately €5 million to Intermediary 5. False documentation was created by or with the agreement of Airbus employees in order to support and disguise these payments. The payments were intended to induce or reward “improper favour” by Government Official 1 towards Airbus. Payments were eventually stopped due to the arrangement failing the due diligence processes required by the Liquidation Committee.
Key actors in Airbus corruption scandal in Ghana
1. Government Official 1 (high ranking and elected)
2. Intermediary 5 (British national and close relative of Government Official 1)
3. Company D (corporate vehicle for Intermediary 5 – shareholder)
4. Intermediary 6 (British national and associate of Intermediary 5)
5. Intermediary 7 (British national and associate of Intermediary 5)
6. Intermediary 8 (Spanish company and front for Intermediary 5)
If you look at the extract from the UK judgement, GO1 was a high ranking official elected who had the power to influence the purchase.
He was also a relative to the British National known as Intermediary 5
So at this point you are asking why I say without equivocation that GO1 is Vice President Mahama
In Ghana the people we elect are a President, MPs, Assembly members, Unit committee members and other low level positions
Assembly members and others below on the pecking other have no way to influence such a big decision as purchasing of an aircraft
MPs and Presidents and Vice Presidents can but remember the next clue that GO1 was family to IM5
Intermediary 5 is referred to as Adam Forster Mahama in the UK judgement so who among the 3 groups above has a family named Samuel Forster Mahama?
Is it President Atta Mills, Vice President John Mahama or MP Mahama Ayariga(or any other MP)
In his book “My first Coup Detat, John Mahama talked about his father’s adopted son called Samuel Forster Mahama(Adam Mahama)) who was taken to the UK at a tender age
He referred to him as his brother in his book. Also the OSP has said there are documents proving that John Dramani Mahama was a guarantor for Samuel Forster Mahama when he was acquiring his passport
We can choose to play smart and dilly dally but after investigations, only one conclusion will be drawn that GO1 is Vice President John Dramani Mahama
However the reason the crown court in UK judge did not allow his name to be mentioned in court but in camera was that, he wasn’t there to respond to allegations or statements made involving him so the judge said it will be proper to hide his name(not identity) in open court so when he decides to also clear his name, he will have that opportunity in court
So this is my reason for this write up
Yesterday the Ghanaian media reported that the OSP has secured a court order and liaised with the Ghana Police to get an Interpol red notice for Samuel Forster Mahama and 3 others.
I was shocked to listen to Joy FM call, Sammy Gyamfi, the Lawyer and National Communications Officer of the NDC to respond.
I asked myself, respond to what? Is Sammy Gyamfi the spokesperson for Samuel Forster Mahama or the other 3 the supposed red alert notice was issued for?
Why did Joy FM even call Sammy Gyamfi and why did Sammy Gyamfi even agree to speak to them?
Why not get to those the supposed alert was issued for because they were not members of the NDC or officials under any NDC government so why should the Communications Officer be called to respond?
I must make it clear that Vice President Mahama has not been found culpable of any crime and the OSP has not even invited him so he’s not involved in any illegality as of today 17th July 2020
People can lie about you in court outside this country when you are not there and perfect reason the judge in UK said it was proper to hide name of GO1 so he can also defend himself in a court when he’s called to do so
Until adverse findings are made against Vice President John Mahama, the NDC should stop responding to any media interview concerning one Samuel Forster Mahama and the 3 others
That is the reason I’m asking if Sammy Gyamfi is now the communication officer for “thieves”
He’s not but Communication Officer for NDC and must act as such and not go about responding to Interpol red alert issued for non NDC people who are being investigated for a crime
Those people can find their own spokespersons
The NDC should know the NPP and current government will go after their Presidential Candidate John Dramani Mahama with just 5 months to an election and they should find better responses and stop hiding behind “its diversionary tactics” because every politician will do same NDC did same to NPP candidates
Lastly in all of this, I sit back and feel sad. President Akufo-Addo is not and can never fight corruption in Ghana
He’s only interested in fighting corruption that involves others not close to him.
Just this year, the SEC in America in another investigation found TOR BOSS Asante Berko guilty of paying bribes to some Ghanaian officials in 2015
The man sent his resignation to President Akufo-Addo who appointed him and the President accepted. It’s been 3 months and President Akufo-Addo has not written to any state security agency to investigate another bribery scandal similar to Airbus
This is because the man who paid the bribes was his appointee. Does President Akufo-Addo no longer care about Ghanaian public officials who have taken bribes to pass a deal and the US has investigated?
But like Martin Amidu said “crime has no timelines” and that statement is very pregnant
Nokore asa wo Oman Ghana
Austine Woode
Akomadan
