[ 2017-04-03 ]

Chairman of the Ghartey Committee, Joe Ghartey

Joe Ghartey Committee report only complicated matters – ACEPA
The Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs
(ACEPA), believes the Joe Ghartey committee report
on the bribery allegations against Parliament’s
Appointments committee, may have only complicated
matters and done little to uphold the reputation
Ghana’s legislature.

According to the Executive Director of ACEPA, Dr.
Rashid Dramani, the near fisticuffs and breakdown
of order in the House after the adoption of the
report last Thursday, was a huge dent on the image
of Parliament.

“I think the outcome has further created more
clouds and has muddied the waters, especially if
you add the breakdown of law and order within
Parliament on that day to the outcome of the
report, I think it doesn’t help the image of
Parliament at all,” he stated to Citi News.

The Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga, was charged
with contempt of Parliament for making unmerited
bribery allegations against members of the
Appointments Committee and the Minister of Energy,
Boakye Agyarko.

It was determined that Mr. Ayariga fell foul of
Article 122 of the 1992 Constitution, Section 32
of the Parliament Act, 1965 (Act 300) and Orders
28 and 30 (2) of the Standing Orders of
Parliament.

Mr. Ayariga was subsequently asked to apologise,
which he did, though members of the Majority were
left unsatisfied with the apology which some
criticized as being insincere, thus escalating
tensions in the House of Parliament.

Investigation should have been independent


Dr. Rashid Dramani also noted that, parliament
would have to do more to repair its image as he
reiterated doubts over the credibility of the Joe
Ghartey committee’s process.

“Right from the beginning, we were of the
opinion that this work should be done by an
independent body so that when we get to this kind
of conclusion, you can carry Ghanaians along. I
don’t know whether this conclusion carries
Ghanaians along.”

ACEPA had already expressed its doubts over the
objectivity of the outcome of the Joe Ghartey
Committee.

According to them, questions that were posed to
witnesses who appeared before the committee were
too skewed in a manner that did not convey the
entire story of what transpired.

Source - citifmonline.com

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