The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias Chairman Wontumi, has asserted that former President John Dramani Mahama would have been in prison by now if not for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to him, the former president is culpable for the many acts of corruption which happened under his government, including the Air Bus scandal.

Speaking in an interview on Wontumi FM, Chairman Wontumi indicated that President Akufo-Addo has decided not to prosecute Mahama because he wants peace to prevail.

“… John Mahama, if not for the fact that Akufo-Addo has ruled Ghana for there to be peace, you should be in jail by now.

“If not for the fact that Akufo-Addo wants peace to prevail, just as we see former presidents being locked up in countries like Pakistan, the same thing should have happened here,” he said in Twi.

He added, “If you look at the Air Bus scandal, the Ameri deal and the other corruption scandals, John Mahama should have been jailed. You (Mahama) are a candidate for treason. It is Akufo-Addo who has given him a presidential pardon, that is why he is walking around freely.”

It is instructive to note that former President John Dramani Mahama has not been implicated in any of the investigations into the Air Bus scandal both domestically and internationally, in the 8 years of the Akufo-Addo government.

About the Airbus scandal:

Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, was alleged to have paid bribes in Ghana when it sold three military aircrafts to it.

The aerospace multinational admitted hiring the brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant for the pitch to sell the aircraft to the country.

Also, Airbus confessed to paying the said consultant through a third party when its Compliance Unit raised red flags about the close relationship between the consultant and the top elected official, who was a key decision-maker in the purchase of the military aircraft.

Former President John Dramani Mahama was one of the government officials implicated in the scandal with the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, alleging that the “Government Official One” label in the scandal was the former president.

Amidu, in an epistle while in office as Special Prosecutor, revealed how John Mahama allegedly used his office to guarantee for a Ghanaian passport for his brother Samuel Adam Mahama.

Martin Amidu said, “Amongst other reasons for the letter to the said Ministry, the Samuel Adam Mahama’s elder brother of full blood who without a doubt and the evidence available to this Office answers to the description of the elected Government Official 1 allegedly granted a denial interview to the Daily Graphic which published same on June 20, 2020, fortunately containing suspected admissions that he is the elected Government Official 1 referred to in the UK judgement.

“Serving appointees of this government have been unable to obtain the voice recording of this interview to enable the Office to confront the former president with his own admissions in the interview as answering to the description to the brother of Samuel Adam Mahama as Intermediary 5.”

John Mahama, however, denied the allegations and charged Amidu, who was in office by then, to prosecute him if he was indeed the said Government Official One.

Watch Wontumi’s remarks below:

Ashanti Regional Chairman of @NPP_GH, Chairman Wontumi has said that @NAkufoAddo has granted @JDMahama Presidential Pardon reason why he’s walking a Free Man pic.twitter.com/lYLomsRrc4

— Kyei Meshack (@KyeiMeshack) March 5, 2024