Ever since news broke of an Airbus corruption scandal that implicated some public officials in Ghana, the country has been on a mission to unveil those implicated.
According to British court documents, Ghana is one of several countries the European aviation giant, Airbus, paid or attempted to pay millions of dollars in bribes.
The case involving Ghana occurred between 2009 and 2015 with court documents stating that bribes were intended to secure contracts.
These actions were part of several that led to the British court fining the company £3 billion.
Back in Ghana what matters to Ghanaians is the identity of those implicated in the scandal.
One name stands out for Ghanaians, getting to know who the elected Ghanaian “Government official 1” is.
Theories surrounding Government official 1
According to documents between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus defence company contacted a close relative of a high-ranking elected Ghanaian Government official as an agent in relation to the proposed sale of three military transport aircraft to the Government of Ghana.
“A number of Airbus employees knew that the intermediary was a close relative of Government Official 1, who was a key decision-maker in respect of the proposed sales.”
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.”
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo Addo has already ordered the country’s special prosecutor for corruption to investigate past and present public officials implicated in the Airbus Corruption Scandal.
But it seems some Ghanaians are yearning for the disclosure quickly with some already making up their own theories.
For some that elected “Government Official 1” who payments were intended to induce was Ghana’s former president John Mahama.
But his party has rejected those claims with one of his former ministers, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah telling local news outlet, Joy FM that his former boss “is not the Government official 1”
He adds that John Mahama “has always conducted himself above board.”
“I would rather that we all engage with the relevant authorities and give all the necessary support to the relevant authorities to investigate this matter.”
What Ghanaians say?
Ghanaians however continue to speculate and device their own means to unveil this “Government official 1”.
It appears sooner than later this Government official 1 would be revealed.
Source: Africafeeds.com
