Member of Parliament for the Tamale Central constituency, Inusah Fuseini has said the Special Prosecutor is making empty noise in his move to invite persons over the Airbus scandal.
According to him, Mr Martin Amidu, the Special Prosecution does not have jurisdiction outside the shores of Ghana, thus, he could not imagine why the latter would invite British citizens to answer questions.
After preliminary investigations, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has invited four individuals to answer questions in relation to their roles in an alleged act and other offences in government’s acquisition of three aircraft from Airbus.
The four are: a UK/Ghanaian citizen Samuel Adam Foster alias Samuel Adam Mahama, Philip Sean Middlemiss; Sarah Davis and Sarah Furneaux.
“Those persons so invited are presently British citizens. They are not within the jurisdiction of this country. In fact, it is debatable even to conclude that the alleged offence was committed in Ghana. Criminal jurisdiction is territorial in nature.
“So, it beats my imagination how Martin Amidu can purport to extend his hand of invitation to persons living outside the boundaries or territorial area of Ghana,” Mr Fuseini said.
He added that it is debatable to assume that the alleged bribery took place in Ghana, stating that criminal jurisdiction is territorial in nature.
“It is brutum fulmen. It is just noise without anything. Just tell me how Martin Amidu can get the four people into the country… Adam Mahama is in the UK now. Are they going to do what the Israelis did… to arrest him, douse him with chemicals, put him in a box and smuggle him into Ghana?”
The Minority Spokesperson on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Inusah Fuseini observed that the Mr Amidu’s office has not invoked the necessary institutional mechanisms that will enable investigators to force the said witnesses to be present.
Mr Fuseini says the OSP has not invoked the necessary institutional legal mechanisms that will help investigators to compel the said witnesses to be present.
The MP told JoyNews that that the investigation will amount to nothing as the invitees are not under any civil obligation to cooperate.
“You are investigating the offence of bribery by Airbus in the purchase of Casa 295s in Ghana. You are inviting four people to assist you in investigations. In the second paragraph of your investigation, you are describing these four people as suspects. It comes to a prima face conclusion that they have been engaged in some form of wrong.”
It would be recalled that Ghana was part of five countries which a plane manufacturer, Airbus, was said in a UK and USA courts judgement, to have paid bribes to for deals.
Following the incident, which took place under the previous government led by former President Mahama, the OSP was tasked by President Akufo-Addo to investigate, thus the invitation of four persons.
By Maxwell Ofori / www.thechronicle.com.gh
The post Airbus Scandal: Amidu’s invitation mere ‘noise’ – NDC MP appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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