Some Members of Parliament from the Majority side helped unravel the latest bribery scandal that has hit the Appointment Committee, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed.
Speaking to the media after vetting Minister Nominee for Gender and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, Mr. Ablakwa said: “I can tell you on authority that there were some NPP MPs who helped us blow the alarm, and gave us the hint about where the money is coming from.”
He however refused to mention the specific names of the NPP MPs involved.
The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga on Friday accused the Energy Minister nominee, Boakye Agyarko, of bribing the ten Minority Members of the Appointment Committee with GHC 3,000 each to influence them to approve his nomination.
Although the Chairman of the Appointment Committee, Joe Osei Owusu, and the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mohammed, have denied the claims, Mr. Ayariga insists his allegation was not fabricated.
Mr. Muntaka shot down claims that Members of the Appointment Committee have been receiving bribe from the nominees, saying “ I am not aware that we have ever received anything from a nominee. I will never accept anything from a nominee because it could be a trap. This will be the first time this is happening. Allowances are given to us by Parliament as an institution but we don’t charge anybody.”
“I can assure you that I have never received a dime from anybody. This is my fifth term, and I can say that since I started I have not received anything from a nominee. It doesn’t mean that we have been collecting monies from nominees.”
Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has declared his support for a full scale investigation into the bribery scandal.
According to him, the Speaker of Parliament and the leadership of the house must investigate the matter to establish its veracity.
He made the comments at the sitting of the committee today [Monday].
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
