Omanghana
The Chairperson of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, has strongly denied allegations of bribery and financial inducements involving members of the committee.
Ahiafor maintained that neither he nor, to the best of his knowledge, any committee member had received money, gifts or other benefits from nominees appearing before them for vetting.
Speaking on TV3’s Daily Brief, he said he regularly cautioned nominees against entertaining individuals who might approach them with demands for money under the pretext of influencing members of the committee.
His response follows the circulation of a document allegedly signed by Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP Patricia Appiagyei. The purported memorandum claimed that she was returning GH¢70,000 allegedly given to her through the Majority Chief Whip in connection with the vetting of two ministerial nominees and three Supreme Court nominees.
Appiagyei has denied writing, authorizing or sending the document, describing it as a forgery intended to damage her reputation. Minority leaders have similarly dismissed the memorandum as fabricated, saying they have no knowledge or record of the alleged transaction.
Ahiafor welcomed the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s decision to open a preliminary inquiry into the matter. He said a formal investigation was necessary to establish the truth, identify those responsible for producing and circulating the document and address the allegations surrounding the committee.
The controversy comes amid heightened political tension over the vetting of the Supreme Court nominees. Minority members previously staged a walkout to protest the vetting schedule, but Ahiafor rejected their objections, ruling that they had no merit under Parliament’s Standing Orders.
The OSP’s inquiry is expected to examine the authenticity and origin of the document, as well as the circumstances surrounding the alleged GH¢70,000 payment.
Source: Omanghana
