Bawku Central MP Ayariga Found Guilty Of Contempt Of Parliament

The Special Committee set up to investigate the Bribery allegation made against the Chairman and some member of the Appointment Committee has established a case of contempt against the MP for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga and has recommended to Parliament to reprimand. 

Presenting the report of the Committee on the Floor of Parliament the Chairman of the Committee Joe Ghartey said the Committee having examined the facts of the case also recommend to the House to ask Mr. Ayariga to render an unqualified apology to the House.

Background:

The Railways Development Minister, also former Attorney-General, Joe Ghartey, was tasked to lead the five-member committee approved by Parliament, to investigate a bribery allegation made by Minority member of the Committee, Mahama Ayariga, that Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, attempted to bribe  ten minority members on parliament’s Appointments Committee with GHc3000 each to ensure the approval of his nomination as the Energy Minister. 

Prior the alleged bribery, Mr. Ayariga, the Bawku Central MP, said Minority members on the committee had approached the Chairman of the committee about their sitting allowance. 

The said minority group received money which they thought was the sitting allowance . 

However, they returned the money when they realised that it was instead coming from Mr. Boakye Agyarko, who the Minority had refused to approve because of some alleged derogatory comments he made about former President John Mahama during his vetting. 

The MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini and the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, backed Mr. Ayariga’s claims and joined him to petition the Speaker of Parliament to thoroughly investigate the bribery claims against Mr. Agyarko. 

Earlier the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Osei Owusu had raised the issue on the floor of parliament and also called for an investigation into the matter. Indicating that he was privy to an admission that the bribery claims was fabricated. 

Mr. Osei Owusu, also the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, said a confession had been made to the effect that the allegation was made by some Minority members to settle scores, following prior claims by the Majority side that Mr. Mahama was corrupt. 

The Chairman was himself implicated in the scandal with Mr. Ayariga alleging that he served as a courier for the bribe money which was given to the Minority Chief Whip, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka for onward disbursement; a claim Mr Suhuyini and Mr Ablakwa both confirmed. 

But the Chief Whip and the Committee’s Chairman passionately denied the claims. 

The Final decision of the House on the bribery allegation will be taken today, March 31, 2017.


GBC