Four persons have been invited by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to answer questions relating to their roles in an alleged act of bribery and other offences in government’s acquisition of three aircraft from Airbus.

A UK/Ghanaian citizen Samuel Adam Foster alias Samuel Adam Mahama who is said to be related to former president John Mahama as well as three other British citizens; Philip Sean Middlemiss; Sarah Davis and Sarah Furneaux have been invited to assist in investigations.

The invitation comes after the OSP headed by Special Prosecutor Martin Alamisi Amidu completed its preliminary investigations into the Airbus saga.

On January 31, 2020, Ghana was named as one of five countries which the plane maker, Airbus, paid or attempted to pay millions of dollars in bribes in exchange for contracts, leading a court in Britain to slap a fine of £3 billion on the company.

The document also alleged that contrary to section 7 of the UK’s Bribery Act 2010, Airbus failed to prevent persons associated with it from “bribing others concerned with the purchase of military transport aircraft by the Government of Ghana, where the said bribery was intended to obtain or retain business or advantage in the conduct of business.”

Subsequently, President Akufo-Addo referred the matter to the OSP to investigate it.

A public notice by the OSP on March 31 in the Daily Graphic said the individuals identified by an acronym in the Statement of Facts and accepted as findings of fact in a judgement of the UK Crown Court are to assist in the investigation of corruption and corruption-related offences in the purchase of the Aircraft.

“SAMUEL ADAM FOSTER a. k. a. SAMUEL ADAM MAHAMA a UK/Ghanaian citizen, and the three other UK nationals: PHILIP SEAN MIDDLEMISS, LEANNE SARAH DAVIS and SARAH FURNEAUX are hereby invited to assist the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the on-going investigation of bribery and corruption involving in excess of €3,596,523.00 and €1,665,000.00 respectively, and collaborating with Ghanaian public Officers to use their public office for private profit or benefit in the purchase of three (3) C-295 aircraft by the Government of Ghana from Airbus SE,” the notice said.

The OSP also gave the background of the four individuals

1. SAMUEL ADAM FOSTER a. k. a. SAMUEL ADAM MAHAMA was born in Tamale on 14 December 1962 to Emmanuel Adamah Mahama and Nana Suluwu. His current Ghanaian passport was guaranteed by John Dramani Mahama, described as former President of Ghana as first guarantor, and Alfred Abdulai Mahama, described as a Civil Servant, as second guarantor. Alfred, John, and Samuel are brothers of the full blood in descending order of seniority. His UK address is: 19 Avenue Road Penge, London, SE20 7RT, UK.
2. PHILIP SEAN MIDDLEMISS was born at Gateshead to a pub landlady, Yvonne Lloyd, on 19 June 1963 and given up for adoption ten days later to one Alex Middlemiss and his wife June. His UK address is: The Square, Ringley Chase, Whitefield, Manchester, United Kingdom, M45 7UL. He listed his pre 2009 employment as a UK television actor and film director. He described himself during the Airbus SE bribery transaction as a Project Manager. His address in Ghana has predominantly been stated as House No. 19 Agostinho Neto Road, Airport Residential Area, Accra. SAMUEL ADAM MAHAMA and PHILIP SEAN MIDDLEMISS were in Ghana at the same time and are Directors and Shareholders in Ghana of DEEDUM LIMITED issued with a Certificate to Commence Business on 8 December 2009 with registration number CA-67,930 and TIN 524V056743. SAMUEL ADAM MAHAMA and PHILIP SEAN MIDDLEMISS along with LEANNE SARAH DAVIS incorporated a company of the same name DEEDUM LIMITED in the UK in February 2010. DEEDUM LIMITED (UK) was the corporate vehicle through which SAMUEL ADAM MAHAMA and his associates purported to have provided services to Airbus to facilitate the suspected commission of corruption and corruption-related offences against Ghana in the sale of the C-295 aircraft.
3. SARAH FURNEAUX was born on 18 May 1964 at Leicester. She is a Director with SAMUEL ADAM FOSTER who is her partner or spouse in FURNEAUX AVIATION LIMITED since 13 February 2013 and now known as FURNEAUX LIMITED. Her address in Ghana is always provided as House No. 19 Agostinho Neto Road, Airport Residential Area, Accra. They were engaged in the second campaign to sell the third aircraft to the Government of Ghana acting as fronts for the Ghanaian elected public official or officials.
4. LEANNE SARAH DAVIS became a Director and shareholder with, her partner or spouse PHILIP SEAN MIDDLEMISS of DEEDUM LIMITED (UK) after SAMUEL ADAM MAHAMA ceased his Directorship. She is an intermediary referred to in the Statement of Facts and judgment of the UK Crown Court and was also a former UK television actress.