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Doe Adjaho denies phone bribery allegation

 

The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, has described rumours that Members of Parliament were bribed with mobile handsets before approving the US$129.9 million contract between the government and ZTE Corporation of China as false.

Parliament approved the contract last month for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of the Dedicated National Security Information System in northern Ghana by ZTE Corporation of China.

This is the second phase of the contract under which ZTE Corporation is installing some security gadgets in some parts of the country to enhance the operations of the security agencies in the country.

Even though the approval of the amount was deferred for a week when the Parliamentary Committee on Communications tabled its report before the House, it was approved after some corrections had been made as directed by the Speaker.

There were rumours in the media afterwards that the MPs were bribed with mobile handsets before they gave approval to the deal.

However, Mr Adjaho explained Tuesday after the Member of Parliament for Kwesimintim , Mr Joe Badoe-Ansah had raised the matter on the floor of the House that the rumours were mere fabrications purported to create the impression that the MPs engaged in corrupt practices before approving the contract.

He said he decided to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee when it came to his notice but realised after consulting the leadership of the House that there was no truth in the rumours within the media circles.

Mr Adjaho said even though MPs received mobile handsets, they were part of the project to enhance their security.

Similar handsets, according to him, were given to some members of staff of Parliament in 2006, adding that he had one of the handsets five years ago.

“This is part of the occupational hazards in holding public offices. I do not see how mobile phones can be used to bribe members of this House,” he said.

The Majority Leader, Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor, and the Minority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, also denied the rumours and said that the mobile phones were security enhancement gadgets distributed to the MPs.

They said the gadgets were even not personal properties of the MPs and would be taken away from them when they were no more members of the House.

Meanwhile, the House on Tuesday approved the 2014 annual budget estimate for the Ministry of Communication amounting to GH₵ 93,288,999.00 for distribution to the various departments under the ministry.

The GH₵531,389,023 budget for the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing for the ensuing year was also approved by the House.

Even though the Ministry of Communications requested for GH₵735,288,999.00 for its activities for 2014, only GH₵93.9 million was approved by the Ministry of Finance.

On the approval of the budget for the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, the Parliamentary Committee on Works and Housing observed that with the exception of the expenditure on Employees Compensation which had over-run by 31 per cent of allocation for 2013, as at November ending, all the other expenditure items of the ministry performed abysmally as a result of non-release of funds. Click to listen to the Speaker, Majority and Minorty Leaders denying the allegation. 

 

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