[ 2017-02-13 ]

Ayariga's bribe probe goes public
The Special Committee set up by Parliament to
investigate Mahama Ayariga’s allegation of
bribe-taking by some Members of Parliament (MPs)
is set to commence public sittings.

The committee, chaired by Joe Ghartey, MP for
Essikado Ketan and Minister for Railways
Development, has scheduled Wednesday, February 15
to Friday, February 17 as the dates for the
sittings at the Speaker’s Conference Room in
Parliament House.

Other members of the committee are Ben Abdallah
Banda, MP for Offinso South; Magnus Kofi Amoatey,
MP for Yilo Krobo; Ama Pomaa Boateng, MP for
Juaben and Benson Tongo Baba MP for Talensi.

The committee had earlier scheduled today,
February 13 as the date to start work, but the
star witness, Mahama Ayariga, is in Nigeria for
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
parliament assignment, and it’s the hope of the
committee that he would return before Wednesday.

It has been tasked to investigate Mahama
Ayariga’s allegation that Boakye Agyarko – who
was being vetted by the Appointments Committee –
through some people, paid GH¢3,000 to the
minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs on
the committee to influence his (Agyarko’s)
approval as Minister of Energy.

They are specifically looking into the allegation
against the Chairman of the Appointments
Committee, Joe Osei-Owusu, who Mahama Ayariga had
mentioned as being the conduit for the bribing and
Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed
Mubarak, who Mahama Ayariga claimed had brought
the money.

The Joe Ghartey committee will call upon Mahama
Ayariga, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who is also the 1st
Deputy Speaker; Sampson Ahi and Samuel Okudzeto
Ablakwa – members of the Appointments Committee
– to appear before it.

Others to appear are Alhassan Suhuyini, Mohammed
Mubarak-Muntaka, Eric Opoku and Boakye Kyeremateng
Agyarko.

The investigation was launched after Mahama
Ayariga and two minority MPs – Samuel Okudzeto
Ablakwa and Alhassane Suhuyini – had accused
Boakye Agarko of bribing them.

Ayariga, the MP for Bawku Central, caused public
outrage when he claimed on pro-NDC network –
Radio Gold – recently that the Minority Chief
Whip who is the NDC MP for Asawase, shared
envelopes containing GH¢3,000 for minority
members serving on the Appointments Committee to
approve Mr. Agyarko.

The Minority Chief Whip has already denied ever
sharing envelopes containing GH¢3,000 each to
approve the nomination of Mr. Agyarko to become
Minister of Energy, but this appears to have
incensed his colleagues on the minority side of
parliament.

Mahama Ayariga claimed Alhaji Muntaka had told
them that it was the Committee’s Chairman Joe
Osei-Owusu, who gave the money to them and said
they later got to know that it was coming from Mr.
Agyarko.

In the ensuing debate, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, a
minority member of the Appointments Committee, was
also said to have said on Montie Fm – a sister
station of Radio Gold – that he didn’t know
anything about the alleged bribe, even though he
was expected to have benefitted from it.

Source - dailyguideafrica.com

... go Back