Speaking on The Big Issue on Citi FM today [Saturday], Mr. Ayariga said he would not go back on the oath he swore when he testified to the allegations before the Joe Ghartey committee.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XNhMvKhzhGFq3J0qvJ56U8PJy8qgBJUf”]“I swore an oath and told what I went through… those are facts. If somebody evaluates and says that he doesn’t believe it, that is his conclusion based on his analysis. But the fact that you have lived through that and you said it under oath means it should stand.”

The Joe Ghartey committee concluded 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 and thus recommended that the Bawku Central MP be made to apologize to Speaker of Parliament.

Parliament voted to approve the committee’s report leading to an apology from Mr. Ayariga, but the MP cautioned that the House’s adoption of the report without any debate could have further legal implications.

“The decision of the House raises serious legal issues. If you say I should retract, but I swore an oath, would that now be perjury?” he questioned.

Parliament needed ‘additional wisdom’

Mr. Ayariga further hinted at some legal recourse after the Speaker gives his final ruling on the Joe Ghartey committee’s report and process, which he described as restrictive.

According to him, a debate on the report would have prevented any potential legal fallout in the matter.

“Maybe, the first thing you do is you comply with the decision of the House and then you institute legal challenges with those decisions so that you state to a court your grounds and the court will now examine all the other areas of law and then come to a conclusion.”

“That is why they should have allowed debate on the report, as discerning legal minds would have had an opportunity to draw attention to all these issues and that would have enriched the conclusion of the House when voting on the matter. But the restrictive process disabled the House from benefiting from additional wisdom in addition to the wisdom of the members of the committee,” Mr. Ayariga added.

My hands were tied – Ayariga on apology

Mr. Ayariga believes it should not matter whether his apology to the Speaker of Parliament after being charged with contempt by the Joe Ghartey committee was from his heart or not.

Defending the demeanour of his apology, he explained that his “hands were tied” because it became a decision that had been adopted by the House.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ayariga stands by bribery allegations despite apology appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“Whether that [the apology] was from the bottom of my heart, whether I agree with the grounds on which you are asking me to apologize? That is for me to feel inside and decide whether I want to divulge or not,” Mr. Ayariga stated on The Big Issue.

[contextly_sidebar id=”MgPWKt9BfHRZg41I4Qexfv1LDYUcHGSD”]He insisted that his apology was simply pursuant to the decision of Parliament after MPs had voted to accept the report of the Joe Ghartey committee.

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

It was concluded 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.

In his apology to the Speaker of Parliament on Thursday, he said: “Mr. Speaker, if you say I should apologize, I have apologized,” but some have criticized the apology for not having remorse, with the Majority side expressing displeasure with the perceived disrespect of the House and its Speaker.

‘My hands were tied’

But Mr. Ayariga, defending the demeanour of his apology, explained that his “hands were tied” because it became a decision that had been adopted by the House.

“…the recommendations of the committee became the decision of the House and as a respectful member of the House, I then said… since you have already put the question and it has been voted and the decision has been taken that I should render an apology, I have to show respect to the 274 members sitting, so if you say I should apologize, I hereby apologize.”

“My rendition of an apology is pursuant to a decision of the House which binds me. I am bound by the decision of the House to render an apology, whether I like it or not, I am bound by that decision.”

Mr. Ayariga maintained that, his apology was not tied to anything external, quizzing: “What are the conditions? You asked me to apologize so I am saying that if you [The Speaker of Parliament] ask me to apologize, I apologize. Is that not ordinary English… I didn’t say I am apologizing subject to XYZ.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post My hands were tied – Ayariga on apology appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The warning formed part of the Committee’s report which found the Bawku Central Member of Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, in contempt of Parliament for making the allegations which were said to be without substance.

[contextly_sidebar id=”HOZleIIV9AZKzlLtdaxkriwXctVKrG0S”]The Committee deemed its investigation into the allegations adequate enough, and thus urged Mr. Osei-Owusu not to take the matter to court to clear his name as he had initially threatened.

“After this process by Parliament’s special committee to investigate this matter, we are of the view that to take this matter to court will be to undermine the dignity of Parliament. The courts have not hesitated on their part to say that parliament is a master of its own procedures and arguably its own proceedings.”

The Committee added that “we therefore resist the temptation into looking into the remits and the complaints and assertions made by the First Deputy Speaker about the matter any further than what has been done above and subject to our recommendations.”

The Bawku MP alleged that Boakye Agyarko, attempted to bribe the 10 minority members on the Appointments Committee with GHc 3,000 each to ensure the approval of his nomination as the Energy Minister.

Mr. Ayariga also said Mr. Osei-Owusu served as a courier for the bribe money, which was given to the Minority Chief Whip, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka for onward disbursement.

Committee’s recommendations

The Committee recommended that Mr. Ayariga be reprimanded by the Speaker of Parliament in accordance with section 35 of the Parliament Act, 1965 (Act 300).

It further recommended that Mr. Ayariga renders an unqualified apology to the House of Parliament thereby purging himself of contempt.

The Joe Ghartey committee arrived at its conclusion because Mr. Ayariga failed to prove that Mr. Agyarko gave money to Mr. Osei-Owusu to be distributed to Members of the Appointments Committee with a view to bribe them.

‘I apologize if you say I should’ – ‘Defiant’ Ayariga to Speaker 

Meanwhile, the Bawku Central Constituency, Mahama Ayariga, on Thursday evening, practically rejected recommendations of the five member Joe Ghartey committee that investigated bribery allegations against Members of the Appointments Committee and Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko.

Mr. Ayariga, who appeared unhappy with the work of the committee, reluctantly rendered the apology, saying : “Mr. Speaker, if you say I should apologize, I have apologized.” Before this apology, he said the committee’s recommendations were problematic, especially when it failed to conduct due diligence by cross examining the “other sides” to arrive at a fair conclusion.

This is regardless of the fact that Mr. Ayariga and his other colleagues who made the allegation, failed to provide any hardcore evidence to support their claims.

He also questioned the powers of the committee to find him guilty of contempt.

The Speaker is expected to deliver his ruling today [Friday], on the recommendations of the committee.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Don’t go to court – Joe Ghartey committee tells Osei-Owusu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The report is expected to explain the circumstances surrounding the scandal, and make some recommendations on the way forward on the issue, which many say has dented the image of the House.

[contextly_sidebar id=”5PKPPNq1VIvZyRDCT7kQl893dqnN97ku”]Speaking to Citi News’ Richard Dela Sky ahead of the reading of the report to Parliament Thursday evening, Mr. Ghartey insisted that the report can be trusted, since no one attempted interfering with the work of the committee.

He further revealed that, the committee took the painstaking effort to go through a very transparent process to arrive at its conclusions

“If I didn’t not think that it was credible, I would not have put it out. We have gone through a very transparent process and we have come to conclusions, having debated it thoroughly. I can tell you that two days ago, we met and we worked till morning and we argued each line. We never came to a conclusion that we have to vote. We tried to work with unanimity, where we had different opinions we stated it and we found a way around it. We disagreed on a lot of things.”

“.. I think with the nature of our work, it is important that we have some kind of insulation and I can say that nobody in this legislature tried to influence us in anyway. We have been meeting overnight. Even yesterday we met till 12.o clock. We found a very democratic process and I want to thank the members of my team. In the beginning I said to them that this was a serious matter and we must maintain the integrity of this House.”

Report to be debated

Members of Parliament will be given the opportunity to debate the report, according to Mr. Ghartey.

He was however unable to tell the specific time the debate will take off.

“Whether it will be debated today or tomorrow I don’t know. After we present the report, it is debated and they agree. There is flexibility. We are making recommendations.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post Bribery scandal report credible – Joe Ghartey appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This is according to a statement signed by acting Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Kate Addo.

[contextly_sidebar id=”892L69gMGa8Y9pRFtpAiIwCWoKmwGBnp”]The statement further revealed that the Committee rounded off its work with evidence from three more witnesses.

The release of the report delayed after a Member of the House applied to provide fresh evidence on the matter to the Committee.

This was after the Committee was just about to wrap up on its investigations.

The second Deputy Majority Whip, Matthew Nyindam, who had earlier confirmed the development to Citi News, said although the deadline for the submission of the report was due, the Committee would still have to take the evidence of the interested party to prevent suspicion of bias.

“We met last week on a business issue and I raised that issue with the majority leader, and I asked him when this Joe Ghartey thing will be ready, because the public is interested, we are also interested as a house because it is an alleged issue and we all have to clear it. According to the leader, a member said he has some kind of evidence to tender in so they have to hold on for him to bring it so that it doesn’t look like somebody is fighting against the other.”

Various civil society groups and individuals are mounting pressure on the committee to release the report on the matter which many say, has dented the image of the legislative body.

Dr. Rashid Raman, the Executive Director of the Africa Center for Parliamentary Affairs, has said that the longer the delay in the release of the report, the more likely Ghanainas will doubt the accuracy of the findings when eventually published.

The 5-member Committee was set up following allegations that the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, bribed some members of the Appointments Committee.

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bribery scandal: Committee to present final report on Wednesday appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said this when he appeared before the 5-member ad-hoc ommittee as a witness, to testify in the matter.

Although he was unable to give the Committee what they deemed as substantial evidence to support his bribery claims, he stated that his allegations were the facts available to him.

He therefore asked the committee to weigh his evidence and make a decision.

This is what transpired

Joe Ghartey: Do you have any evidence that Hon First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei-Owusu took money from the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko and gave it to the Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka to be given to you?

Mahama Ayariga: It is your job to evaluate my evidence whether you consider it hear -say for which you will not give in to it, but I will stick to what I know.I am not here to evaluate evidence. I think that is your job.

Joe Ghartey: You have not given us any direct evidence. You have told us you never spoke  Joe Osei-Owusu. You never took money from Joe Osei-Owusu directly. Am I correct?

Mahama Ayariga: Yes.

Some witnesses have been asked to appear  before the committee to testify in the scandal involving Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko and Members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee.

The Chairman of the Appointments Committee , Joe Osei-Owusu appeared before the Committee on Thursday, where he claimed that Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Okudzeto Ablakwa had admitted that the scandal was cooked up to equalize corruption allegations leveled against President Mahama.

Mr. Mahama Ayariga, and two other minority MPs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Alhassan Suhuyini, petitioned Parliament to investigate the matter,  for which the committee was set up.

After Mr. Ayariga’s appearance before the committee today [Monday], came the Minority Chief Whip and MP for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak, who insisted that he never took money from Mr. Joe Osei-Owusu, to be given to his colleagues as bribe.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post Weigh my evidence – Ayariga tells bribery committee appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The committee’s Chairman, Railways Development Minister, Joe Ghartey, explained that the break in the committee’s sitting was to accommodate Mr. Ablakwa’s request for the transcript and recording of the first sitting, where the First Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Parliament’s Appointment’s committee, Joe Osei-Owusu appeared.

Mr. Ablakwa made a request for an audio recording of the proceedings on Friday morning, and the committee has obliged the request.

“We have agreed to oblige that request. We are taking steps to give him a copy and a transcript of the proceedings of that day, and when he receives it, he will be in a position to come before us,” Mr. Ghartey said.

Mr. Osei-Owusu was the first witness before the committee as he was alleged to have attempted to bribe each of the Minority members on the Appointments Committee with GHc 3,000, said to have come from the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko.

Mr. Osei-Owusu, reiterated his innocence in the supposed bribery scandal that rocked the Appointments Committee when he appeared before the five-member committee investigating the matter.

During his testimony, Mr. Osei-Owusu, also said he refused to push for investigations into the alleged bribery scandal because Mr. Ablakwa claimed it was framed.

It was this claim before the committee that forced Mr. Ablakwa to request to appear as witness to clear himself via a letter from his lawyers. The committee was set to admit only four witnesses.

‘Bribery scandal’

Mr. Ablakwa, along with two other members of the minority on Appointments Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Alhassan Suhuyini and Mahama Ayariga alleged that some monies were paid to them after the vetting of Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko to help facilitate his approval.

Mr. Osei Owusu and Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, whose names were mentioned as conduits of the alleged payment.

The three MPs subsequently petitioned the Speaker of the Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye to investigate the allegations.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bribery committee adjourns sitting over Ablakwa’s invitation appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Recently, former Deputy Attorney General, Martin Amidu reminded us of this corruption when he revealed that two of his colleagues in the Mills government had paid bribes to get their nominations approved. We have known that this practice endures for so long that one cannot claim surprise at Ayariga’s revelations.

What is intriguing is the split in the Minority over Ayariga’s allegation. Usually Parliament bands together when these accusations come up, but this time, the Minority is split.  Mahama Ayariga claims, the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak brought the minority team GHC3000 each, which they accepted thinking it was their sitting allowance. He claims they returned the money when they later learned the money had been given to Muntaka by the chairman of the Vetting Committee, Joe Osei Owusu to persuade the Minority to approve the nomination of Boakye Agyarko. Mubarak Muntaka has vehemently denied this. The Minority leader, the head of the pack, Haruna Iddrisu has been strangely been silent, only stating that he will support an investigation.

Some have suggested that the split between the Minority team on the panel may be part of the NDC’s internal leadership squabble. It could be true. It could be that Ayariga and the others want to teach their leaders a lesson. It could also be what we term ‘adidigyagya’ – someone in leadership may have taken more than he should have. Whatever it is, for the first time, this group of people who once united to free the ‘Montie Three’ are now split, openly contradicting themselves over money. It presents the state agencies mandated to check corruption a fantastic opportunity to finally investigate these claims and clear our doubts.

This cannot be left to Parliament to investigate like Chairperson of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice wants. Parliament’s integrity is on the line, they will hide evidence if they can keep referring to themselves as honorable. MPs wasted previous chances to investigate similar issues and so they cannot be trusted to conduct thorough investigations and expose their own.

In interviews both Muntaka and Ayariga said “we met and agreed not to take money from anyone for this vetting.” This comment is an admission that MPs take bribes for their jobs. It suggests rent-seeking, conflicts of interest, cash for access and that is the real scandal at the heart of this Ayariga debacle. I imagine all manner of sinners – foreign groups, criminals and other corrupt people queuing to grease the palms of MPs for deals, protection, access and resources. The idea that Ghanaian MPs get paid for all manner of deals and in cash is frightening and terrible. The possibilities for MPs to sell the country, undermine our laws and democracy for their selfish gain are endless.

It cannot continue. It cannot be left alone to Parliament, the Parliament has consistently put its interests above the nation to investigate this and root out the insidious corruption. An independent body should investigate this for we cannot take Mr. Ayariga’s words as the truth without evidence. Neither can we believe Mubarak Muntaka because he swore by the Quran. People found to have told great lies swore on all kinds of sacred objects.

If we’re going to build strong and independent systems where all are equal before the law as President Nana Addo promised, here is his first task: restore Parliament’s integrity by forcing the Police and CHRAJ to do their work.

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By: Nnyamewaa

The post Parliament cannot be trusted to probe bribery scandal [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mr. Boakye Agyarko , Minister of Energy, has been accused of attempting to bribe 10 Minority members on Parliament’s Appointments Committee, with GHc 3,000 each, prior to his approval.

An ad-hoc ommittee has subsequently been set up  by the Speaker, following a petition by three minority MPs namely Mahama Ayariga, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Alhassan Suhuyini, who have confirmed that the alleged bribery indeed occurred, hence their decision to ask for investigations, despite the denial by Minority Chip Whip and MP for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak.

The four members who will be supporting the Chairman of the Committee, Joe Ghartey, are MPs Ben Abdallah, Ama Pomaah Boateng, Magnus Kofi Amoateng and Hon. B.T. Baba.

The decision to form the ad-hoc committee, was approved by the leadership of both sides of the House. Two of the members are from the majority NPP, while two others are from the minority NDC, with the Committee Chair also being a member of the majority.

Below is a breakdown of MPs from the various parties and specific constituencies

MPs                                           Constituency                               Party

Ben Abdallah                            Offinso South                                     NPP

Ama Pomaah Boateng        Juaben                                                   NPP

B.T Baba                                     Talensi                                                  NDC

Magnus Kofi Amoateng      Yilo Krobo                                          NDC

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Joe Ghartey leads 5-member committee to probe bribery claims appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.