Airbus scandal: I made a ‘good case’ to get Interpol Red Notice – Martin Amidu
The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu says contrary to claims that the Interpol Red Notice issued for the arrest and possible extradition of Samuel Adam Foster, also known as Adam Mahama and three others over their involvement in Airbus Bribery Scandal was politically motivated, his office made a “good case” to have the request granted by the Interpol General Secretariat.
Mr. Amidu also described as needless the statement by the Police CID attributing the Red Notice to his office.
According to the Special Prosecutor, the action of the police is extraordinary and unusual as such arrest notices state the law enforcement agency at whose request it was issued.
He also described some young legal practitioners who he alleges attacked his personality and called the red notice fake as unethical lawyers.
A statement issued by the Office to provide details of how the four they four have been declared wanted, Martin Amidu expressed shock to learn later and read online that a bunch of young, inexperienced and unethical lawyers were referring to the Red Notices as fake while at the same time heaping insults and attributing unwarranted motives to the person and character of the SP for doing his work as the Special Prosecutor to fight provable corruption.”
“On 17th July 200, it came to the notice of the SP that the Police/CID had usually gone out of its way to issue a news release to the media dated 16th July 2019 on the publication of Interpol Red Notice” informing the public that the Red Notice was issued at the behest of this Office. this office as an independent and active agency took the view that the publication made in its behalf was unusual, extraordinary, needless and gratuitous as every Interpol red notice states its content the law enforcement agency at whose behest it is issued”, he added.
Adam Mahama is being charged with “accepting a bribe to influence a public officer” and “acting in collaboration with a public officer for the public officer’s private profit”.
He is facing up to 25 years in prison.
The red alert sighted by Citi News noted that “extradition will be sought upon the arrest of the person, in conformity with national laws and/or the applicable bilateral and multilateral treaties.”
Although no names were listed by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has come out to insist that former President John Mahama is the person identified as the “elected Government Official 1″ named in US and UK court documents.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), which was in power during the period the bribes were allegedly paid, denied the claims.
Mr. Mahama has said he was not part of any underhand dealings in the matter.
But touching on allegations of political witch-hunting and deliberately take actions against the brother of the NDC presidential nominee, Mr. Amidu said, he will not destroy his hard-earned legal reputation by wading into debates that aims at turning the law into an issue of politics.
“The SP is well known in this country and amongst the community of ethical lawyers and the senior judiciary as a person who had practised the law ethically for upwards of forty years. Some of the unethical lawyers who were assaulting the person and character of the SP on the airwaves are lawyers who are in their twenties and early thirties: they have not been yet cut their teeth at the Ghana Bar. The SP refused to be drawn into the affray of turning law into politics as is the forte of those unethical and inexperienced lawyers with no or very limited distinguished courtroom practice vindicating their standing as lawyers in the Ghana Law Reports,” he added.
Source: Citi
