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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The post Bribery scandal: Osei-Owusu telling ‘malicious’ lies – Ablakwa appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mr. Osei-Owusu was the first witness before the committee chaired by the Railways Minister, Joe Ghartey and 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.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ns5hNECTQATj9Iqqvb2lwWp7sDU65VRH”]The allegations were made by the MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga who said  Mr. Agyarko attempted to bribe the Minority members of the Appointments Committee to approve his nomination after a tense vetting session.

The allegation was subsequently supported by two other Minority MPs; Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Alhassan Suhuyini.

Mr. Osei Owusu narrated that he was initially livid at the allegations during a meeting of the committee members but calmed down after he was given the impression by Mr. Ablakwa that the allegations were a mere political retaliation to Mr, Agyarko’s insinuation, during his vetting, that President John Mahama was corrupt.

“Because Agyarko said our President was corrupt, referring to President John Mahama, we were spreading the corruption allegations. So then the mood in the room changed and we all laughed at it,” he recounted.

“I was insistent that matter be investigated before we leave the room but when he [Ablakwa] said that they created that to spread the corruption I dropped my insistence,” Mr. Osei-Owusu added, as evidenced by his submission on the floor of Parliament in the immediate aftermath of the allegations that evening.

He noted that after this, he expected the allegations to die down but  he was on his way to Kofriudua for the induction course for new MPs when  he “received reports that Mahama Ayariga had taken to social media saying that the allegation he made was true.”

But Mr. Osei Owusu was resolute in his innocence saying, “the allegation that I have taken money from honourable Agyarko whether for myself or for any member of my committee is false. Neither have I discussed anything to do with money with honourable Ayariga or any member for that matter.”

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

The post Committee hearing: Osei-Owusu vehemently denies bribery allegations appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the chairman, this will help conclude investigations of the scandal to enable the committee carry out its duty smoothly.

[contextly_sidebar id=”kFcOSfuXKFmP8D9z1mpewcdIMc9XqftN”]The Bawku Central Member of Parliament, Mahama Ayariga accused the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko of bribing the ten minority members of the committee with GHc3,000 each when he realized that the minority had refused to pass him for the position following some comments he made about former president John Mahama during his vetting.

Mr. Ayariga alleged that the money was given to the Minority Chief Whip, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka by the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Osei-Owusu for onward disbursement; a claim, both the Chairman and Muntaka subsequently rubbished.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, Joseph Osei Owusu said, the option of impressing on Ayariga to answer questions on his allegations at the committee sitting will be impossible since he [Osei-Owusu] who was implicated by Ayariga in the bribery allegations has to chair that sitting.

The Bekwai legislator said “By our standing orders, I am the Chairman of that committee and by our standing orders, I don’t think that Ayariga will get justice if my committee is to try him. That is why I am doing away with that suggestion and looking at going to court.”

When asking by host, Umaru Sanda Amadu whether he will continue to chair the committee after the allegations, Osei-Owusu said “I am supposed to be there by law. I will make a statement and invite the leadership and the speaker to review that committee.

He added that, “My only challenge now is that we have postponed consideration of some members for appointment for so long and I’m not sure it is fair to them to postpone sitting again. Otherwise I would have refused to sit until those matters are resolved and who ever took money in whose name is brought out.”

He further disclosed that he was engaging his lawyers to possibly seek redress in the court of law to clear his name.

I swear I didn’t give Ayariga bribe money – Muntaka

The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak had rejected claims that he gave Mahama Ayariga any money he received from Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko.

“I’m a Muslim and Ayariga is a Muslim. I’m swearing by the Allah that created him that I never gave Ayariga anything and I said it was from Osei-Owusu. Osei Owusu has never discussed any money issue with me. He has never given me any money to be given to Ayariga and I’ve never given Ayariga or anybody any money saying that it was coming from the Chairman,” he said.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post I’ll call for review of Appointments C’ttee – Osei-Owusu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.