The league, in recent years, has been hit with several bribery scandals and allegations made towards officials and players alike with some prominent club officials like AshGold chairman Cudjoe Fianoo opening up about being approached by match-fixing syndicates during last season’s campaign.

The GFA, during their executive summit this week, announced that a huge incentive will be given out to anyone who comes out to expose acts of bribery starting from next season’s campaign.

According to GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi, a proposed amount of GH¢ 20,000 will be given as a reward to anyone who reports acts of bribery and corruption with evidence to the FA.

“When people give bribe, it is both the giver and the receiver who are involved, and until one exposes the other it is very difficult to catch them in the act.

“So we are going to put together an incentive for anyone who comes forward to report any corrupt act,” he said.

“If a referee is approached by a club official, we are encouraging them to report the club official. We are proposing a GH¢ 20,000 reward for anyone who comes forward to report any case of bribery with evidence so we know it is credible.”

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He was jailed in 2016 after being convicted of bribery and obstruction of justice while a trade minister.

Olmert was the first former Israeli head of government to be jailed.

He became prime minister in 2006 but resigned three years later when police recommended a series of charges against him.

The 71-year-old did not speak to reporters as he left Maasiyahu prison in central Israel.
Earlier, the Israeli parole board said Olmert had undergone a “significant rehabilitation process” in prison and his behaviour had been largely “impeccable”.

He is however currently being investigated by the state attorney’s office over suspicions he smuggled a chapter of a book he is writing out of prison, raising fears that it might compromise national security.

There had been calls for leniency after a leaked picture of him in a hospital gown looking gaunt circulated on social media last week.

He had been taken to hospital complaining of chest pains but was given the all-clear and returned to prison.

In 2014, Olmert was convicted of bribery in connection with a property development dating to his period as mayor of Jerusalem between 1993 and 2003.

He was also convicted of fraud, breach of trust and obstructing justice when a trade minister, in a series of separate trials, and acquitted of other charges.
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Source: BBC

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The survey, which was to assess citizen’s understanding of corruption, their perceptions and actual experiences of corruption, show that Ghanaians still perceive the police, political parties and the judiciary as being corrupt.

It however revealed that Ghanaians do not regard the payment of what is commonly called facilitation fee as a form of corruption.

Nearly two thirds of the close to eighteen thousand respondents in the survey believes corruption is on the rise in Ghana.

The US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson, said corruption levels in Ghana are at a point where US companies looking to do business in Ghana, have mostly been frustrated with requests for the payment of “facilitation fee” – which he simply described as another language for bribe.

Speaking with the media after launching the GII Consortium survey report, the US Ambassador said “We are looking at a government official that is demanding an action or a fee for doing the job that he or she is supposed to do. Secondly, we want to identify those institutions are actually taking bribes. Even now, people perceive that the Ghana Police Service for example is corrupt; in fact the DVLA, passport office, and the Ghana Revenue Authority are more corrupt in terms of actually taking bribe. My purpose in highlighting them is no to point fingers. My purpose in doing that is to make people aware, that individuals in those institutions have been profiting illegally, and we need to make people think before they pay fees for the services they are already paying for.”

The US Ambassador said Ghana has lost lots of business opportunities to acts of bribery and corruption.

“Corruption inhibits free enterprise and slows economic growth, and it is compromising the quality of much needed services that safeguards health, creates opportunity and save lives. I often hear stories of struggling families having to pay bribe for basic services. Regional monitors report that a typical agricultural exporter in Ghana faces more than forty check points between Accra and the border with Burkina Faso. Check points that add up to 100 dollars or more in what is called facilitation fees. What are facilitation fees? That’s a very diplomatic word. We are talking about bribes; absolute bribes,” he said.

“There have been specific complains about lack of transparency in tenders. We have seen several cases of that reported to us. I have met with company executives. However OI hear time and again that companies are asked to pay facilitation payments in order to get approval or get things done; and they finally just walk away; they say this is just too much trouble; we are going to another country to invest.”

Corruption is very worrying – Ambassador Jackson

Ambassador Jackson noted that, “Corruption is very worrying; it’s worrying in my country and every country. We have seen countries like Chile, Rwanda; make huge strides in combating corruption. We have seen countries like Botswana which have relatively limited corruption throughout their history. Now, part of that is cultural, and part of it is about what the culture allows. My worry and my purpose in highlighting this report, is that Ghanaians and Americans perceive that corruption is getting worse in both of our countries. It’s time to speak up, it’s time to take action, and I urge everyone who hears about this report or reads it, to take action, to speak out when they are asked for bribe; to stop paying facilitation payment and to make certain that their friends and neighbours don’t pay.”

He said there was the need for citizens to stop emboldening bribery by refusing to pay.

“I want people to stop and think, do I need to pay for this service or am I already paying for it? If I am already paying for it, why should I pay again? I cited an example of school teachers; it is one of the most repulsive forms of corruption to be demanding sexual favours for better grades or admission. It shouldn’t be happening; let’s stop it. Is this how we want our society to evolve? I don’t think it is.”

Ghana has overpaid millions for projects 

The US Ambassador confirmed the long-held perception that several government projects are bloated for purposes of corruption, causing the state to lose millions of dollars.

“I cannot, but I can tell you this, Ghanaians have overpaid for projects to the tunes of hundreds of millions of dollars, and we are talking about every kind of infrastructure that Ghanaians think about every day. There have been many examples of overpayment.”
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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Lawyers in an official letter addressed to members of the 5-member ad-hoc committee tasked to investigate the alleged scandal, said : “we have been instructed by our client to convey to you, which we hereby do, his desire to appear before your committee to be heard on the above allegation and to provide evidence that would assist your Committee to reach a fair and true conclusion on this substantially important matter of public interest.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”U5XU7sRQ7HYieZfH3RKyANdd1nfozO3R”]The letter comes a day after the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joe Osei-Owusu ,told the committee he refused to push for investigations into the alleged scandal after Okudzeto Ablakwa indicated that the allegation was framed.

Speaking during the first public hearing of the ad-hoc committee, Mr. Owusu,  who was speaking as the first witness revealed that, when he initially raised the matter for discussion, Mr. Ablakwa trivialized the issue, saying the Minority made the allegation to equalize Mr. Agyarko’s corruption allegations leveled against former President Mahama during his vetting.

Mr. Ablakwa’s lawyers in the letter explained that, their request was premised on the fact that their client was not given any opportunity to substantiate and examine these claims.

“Our client further instructs us that, it has come to his notice that your committee has decided to limit the number of witnesses to be called to give evidence, and that he has not been named as one of such witnesses. However, in his testimony which was beamed live on television and which has been widely reported in the national print media, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament and First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Honourable Joseph Osei-Owusu, mentioned our client as having told him the bribery allegation was made up. Since our client was not given an opportunity to cross examine Hon. Joseph Osei-Owusu on this unsubstantiated piece of evidence, it would surely be in accord with the rules of natural justice that our client be heard in his own defence before your Committee.”

They further indicated that, they will advise their client to resort to other constitutional and legal options available if he is refused the opportunity to be heard by the committee.

The Chairman of the committee revealed on Wednesday that only four witnesses, excluding Okudzeto Ablakwa will be allowed to testify.

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

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Chairman of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Joe Osei-Owusu,  made the claim at the first public hearing of the ad-hoc committee today [Wednesday], saying Mr. Ablakwa had indicated that the Minority made the bribery allegation to equalize Mr. Agyarko’s corruption allegation levelled against former President Mahama.

“In the conclave, after they had shown that they [Minority] were satisfied and were willing to withdraw their objection and agree for their report to be amended that Hon Osafo Maafo and Boakye Agyarko be passed by consensus, we were going to leave and I said no, there was this allegation already in the public domain, and Honourbale Ayariga is the one alleged to have made that allegation so we should discuss that matter after meeting, all the Minority members said was ‘Mr. Speaker cool down , cool down’ and I said ; ‘How can I cool down?This allegation is already in the public domain’. It was at that point that Okudzeto Ablakwa said ‘because Agyarko said our President [Mahama] was corrupt, we were spreading the corruption allegation’. The mood in the room changed afterwards,” Osei -Owusu said.

But in a Facebook post, Mr. Ablakwa rubbished the claims, saying they were just fabricated.

“May it be known that the so-called confession attributed to me by Hon. Joe Osei-Owusu is nothing but a desperate, malicious and cancerous fabrication which would not be allowed to fester. “

According to Mr. Ablakwa , Mr. Joe Osei-Owusu has been inconsistent with his account of events since the scandal was uncovered.

“The last time Hon. Osei-Owusu made this same allegation, he hanged it around the neck of Hon. Mahama Ayariga.” “I guess he had forgotten to be consistent when he appeared before the Special Committee today.”

The former Deputy Minister of Education declared his preparedness to ensure the truth is established, saying “let no one doubt my resolve and the extent I am willing to go to vindicate the truth in this matter.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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[contextly_sidebar id=”vl7H3aM52vdr8WEfTLlwRfp9PDaKmTJ3″]Speaking during the first public hearing of the ad-hoc committee investigating the alleged scandal, Mr. Owusu revealed that, when he initially raised the matter for discussion, Mr. Ablakwa trivialized the issue, saying the Minority made the allegation to equalize Mr. Agyarko’s corruption allegations leveled against former President Mahama during his vetting.

Narrating what actually transpired at the closed-door meeting, Mr. Osei-Owusu said : “In the conclave, after they had shown that they [Minority] were satisfied and were willing to withdraw their objection and agree for their report to be amended that Hon Osafo Maafo and Boakye Agyarko be passed by consensus, we were going to leave and I said no, there was this allegation already in the public domain, and Honourbale Ayariga is the one alleged to have made that allegation so we should discuss that matter after meeting, all the Minority members said was ‘Mr. Speaker cool down , cool down’ and I said ; ‘How can I cool down?This allegation is already in the public domain’. It was at that point that Okudzeto Ablakwa said ‘because Agyarko said our President [Mahama] was corrupt, we were spreading the corruption allegation’. The mood in the room changed afterwards.”

Mr. Osei-Owusu was however unable to tell whether Okudzeto was just joking or telling the truth when he made that statement.

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

A five-member ad-hoc committee was subsequently set up by the Speaker of Parliament, Mike Oquaye, 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 Chief Whip and MP for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak and Mr. Osei-Owusu.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Speaker of Parliament, Michael Oquaye has set up a five member committee to investigate the bribery allegation, following a petition by Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga [who levelled the bribery allegation against the then Energy Minister nominee, Boakye Agyarko.]

Ayaiga together with the Members of Parliament for North Tongu and Tamale North, Samuel Ablakwa and Suhunyini Alhassan respectively petitioned the Speaker to investigate the matter.

[contextly_sidebar id=”CUpQlizoJAblLxsyGuSM2HTH5nQqK5x6″]But the Spokesperson for the group, Isaac Kwame, told Citi News the group will petition CHRAJ to investigate the matter if Parliament fails to deliver as expected.

“We at MODAG, all that we are saying is that due process must be followed. Now Parliament has come out to deny the allegation but have they followed due process, have they made enquiry to verify the truth?We want due process to be followed. We at MODAG want to know the truth. We just want Parliament to do the right thing, follow due process, determine who is telling lies or who is telling the truth.

“We believe that this matter has brought the name of Parliament into disrepute and we can say that this is not the first time, there were allegations of corruption mentioned so Parliament must do the right thing. Parliament must do everything possible so that the name of Parliament will be cleaned. We at MODEG believe this issue will affect the integrity of Parliament if it is not thoroughly investigated so all that we are saying is that the Speaker should inesvtigate thoroughly to come out with the truth so that the name of Parliament will not be rubbed in the mud. If Parliament fails to do justice to the case, then we shall petition CHRAJ because that is an independent body.”

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

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The allegation comes hours after the Minority had refused to support the approval of Boakye Agyarko and Osafo Maafo; Senior Minister nominee, after raising concerns over some statements the two made before the committee.

Speaking on Accra based Radio Gold, a member of the Appointment’s Committee, Mahama Ayariga, who made the allegation, said Mr. Agyarko attempted bribing them with 3,000 cedis .

The Bawku Central Legislator believes the money was specifically intended to influence the minority to approve Agyarko’s nomination.

“This [Friday] morning,  we had a meeting and during the meeting, we raised the issue with our Chief Whip and asked him what was the source of the money and he said he was going to check from the Chairman because he had also assumed that it was the sitting allowance that he had given him to give to us. So he raised the issue this morning again and he said he had met with the Chairman, and the Chairman had said it was from Boakye Agyarko, who is a nominee. So we as Minority said we were not interested in the money. He should take the money and then return it to the Chairman to give it back to Agyarko. So we gave the money back to our Chief Whip and asked him to send it back to give it to Mr. Agyarko.”

Asked what for what purpose he believes the money was given, Mr. Ayariga said that, “The only logical conclusion one could arrive at is that, this is money intended to influence especially when we had withheld his approval based on certain grounds; so we took a decision that we are not taking anything from anybody. We will take our normal sitting allowances as a committee, and so our leader should be mindful anytime the Chairman brings any money.”

Although Citi News has not independently confirmed the bribery claims, Parliamentary Correspondent, Duke Mensah Opoku, says the matter is making the rounds in Parliament, as the second report of the Appointments Committee of Parliament is being discussed.

According to him, the Chairman of the Committee, Joe Osei-Wusu, has denied playing any role in the alleged bribery, and has vowed to take up the matter at the appropriate quarters.

Although Mr. Agyarko is yet to comment on the matter, sources close to him say he has denied being involved in any such incident.

Why Minority turned down Agyarko, Osafo Maafo’s nomination

Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu, had explained that, they needed some “additional information” on statements they both made before the Committee during the vetting.

He said Mr. Agyarko provided some “inaccurate” information relating to the “debt associated with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Volta River Authority (VRA).”

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

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The Justices, the legal body under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, suspended from office with immediate effect were the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike and Justice Kabiru M. Auta of the High Court of Justice, Kano State.

The Council which took the decision at its 78th meeting which held on September 29, said it recommended compulsory retirement of the three judicial officers after due consideration of petitions against them.

A statement by the Acting Director of Information at the NJC, Mr. Soji Oye, read: “In the case of Hon. Justice Kabiru M. Auta, he is to be handed over to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 1, Kano, for prosecution. “Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal was recommended for compulsory retirement from Office to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, pursuant to the ‘Findings’ by the Council in the petition written by Nnamdi Iro Oji against him and Hon. Justices Husseini Muktar, F. O. Akinbami and J. Y. Tukur, all Justices of Court of Appeal who sat on Election Appeal Panel in the Owerri Division of the Court during the 2015 General Elections. The Petition contains the following allegations, among others: Corruption, malice and vindictiveness; and giving perverse and conflicting decisions on the same issue in similar matters in Appeal CA/OW/EPT/SN/50/2015: Chief Dr. David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex Vs Hon. Mao Onuabunwa & Anor; CA/OW/EPT/SN/47/2015; Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu & Anor Vs Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa & Ors; and CA/OW/EPT/HR/61/2015: Nnamdi Iro Oji Vs Nkole Uko Ndukwe & 16 Ors. “During deliberations, Council found as follows:- That there was evidence that the Petitioner met with Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya thrice, in his residence in Sokoto, Gwarinpa, Abuja and Owerri where on each occasion, he demanded from him the sum of N200,000.000 (Two Hundred Million Naira) to influence the Court of Appeal Panel in Owerri or risk losing the case.

“That the allegations of giving two conflicting judgements on the same matter was not true as the two judgements were in respect of two different appeals: one was in respect of House of Representative Seat, a Federal Constituency, while the other was in respect of a Senate Seat which covered one third of the State.

“That there was no allegation and no evidence that the Petitioner ever met or discussed with Hon. Justices Husseini Mukhtar (JCA), F. O. Akinbami(JCA) and J. Y. Tukur(JCA) in respect of the appeal before them. “In the Light of the foregoing that Hon. Justices Husseini Mukhtar (JCA), F. O. Akinbami(JCA) and J. Y. Tukur(JCA), were exonerated.

“Hon. Justice I. A. Umezulike, OFR, Chief Judge, Enugu State was recommended to the Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for compulsory retirement sequel to the findings by the Council on the following allegations levelled against him by Barrister Peter Eze:- That the Hon. Chief Judge failed to deliver Judgement in Suit No E/13/2008: Ajogwu V Nigerian Bottling Company Limited in which final Addresses were adopted on 23rd October, 2014. The judgement was however delivered on 9th March, 2015, about 126 days after addresses were adopted, contrary to constitutional provisions that judgement should be delivered within a period of 90 days.

“That Hon. Justice Umezulike, OFR, in Suit No E/159M/2014, Ezeuko Vs Probate Registrar, High Court of Enugu State and 3 Ors ordered the arrest of Mr. Peter Eze by police and be brought before his Court after the matter was amicably resolved and judgement entered on terms of Settlement.

“That the Hon. Chief Judge in a speech delivered by him to the Eastern Bar Forum on Friday 4th March, 2016, openly made uncomplimentary remarks containing vulgar language against the Petitioner, contrary to Rule 1.3 of the National Judicial Council Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.

“That at the time of the book launch of the Hon. Chief Judge, donation of N10 million was made by Prince Arthur Eze during the pendency of the two cases in His Lordship’s Court, both of which Prince Arthur Eze has vested interest.

“That there have been many instances of abuse of Judicial powers, by the Chief Judge, particularly against the two defendants in Suits Nos. E/6/2013 and E/88/2016. The Chief Judge clung to these two suits to remain in his Court, despite all genuine efforts made by the defendants to get the suits transferred to another Court.

“That the Chief Judge sitting at a vantage position of Senior Judicial Officer and Head of Court for that matter, should not have allowed his emotions to dictate his judicial functions to the detriment of the defendants in both suits. “In the case of Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta of the High Court of Justice, Kano State, he was recommended to the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for dismissal and be handed over to the police for prosecution following the findings of the Council on the allegations levelled against him by Alhaji Kabiru Yakassai as follows:- That the Petitioner paid the sum of N125, 000.000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-five Million Naira) into an account approved by the Hon. Judge.

“The Petitioner also made cash payment of N72,000,000.00 (Seventy-five Million Naira) to Hon. Justice Auta in several instalments through his Personal Assistant, Abdullahi Bello, ostensibly for the purpose of assisting a former Chief Justice of Nigeria who had just been appointed to secure accommodation and for the Petitioner to be in turn rewarded by the award of some contracts by the said Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria. That Hon. Justice Auta facilitated telephone communications in his house between the Petitioner and purportedly the former Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria on the other end.

“That Hon. Justice Auta facilitated meetings between the Petitioner and a lady who introduced herself as the purported Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria in a Prado Jeep, escorted by armed Police Officer in a hotel in Kaduna. “That after the Petitioner suspected foul play and reported the matter to the police, Hon. Justice Auta agreed to pay the Petitioner the sum of N95, 000.000.00 (Ninety-five Million Naira) as part of his claim while Abubakar Mahdi was to pay the sum of N125, 000.000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-five Million Naira) to the Petitioner.

“That pursuant to the agreement, Hon. Justice Auta made a part payment of $11, 000.00 (Eleven Thousand U. S. Dollars) and N16,000.000.00 (Sixteen Million Naira) cash to the Petitioner and undertook to pay the balance before the commencement of the Fact Finding Committee set up by the National Judicial Council to investigate the allegations.

“That Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta admitted accepting to pay the money as agreed in AIG’s Office in Kano according to him “having suffered humiliation, and incarceration and had nowhere to go for help and in order to protect my image and the image of the judiciary”.

He however, said that the settlement was for him to pay N35 million and not N95 million and that to that effect, he paid N20 million so far including the $11,000.00; and “That Hon. Justice Kabiru stated in his evidence, that the purpose of the Petitioner visiting his house at times was that as a friend, he used to seek favours for his people who had matters before him, a conduct that is in itself self-indicting and a serious abuse of Judicial Oath.

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Source: Vanguardngr

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