We have not withdrawn bribery allegation – Ayariga, others insist
The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, along with two Minority members of the Appointments Committee of Parliament have refuted claims that he has retracted his allegations of attempted bribery.
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“I did no such thing”, Ayariga told Graphic Online, while his colleagues on the committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Alhassan Suhuyini maintained that anybody doubting the claim should ask the Chairman of the Committee if “the money” had not been returned.
When reached on the phone, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joe Osei-Owusu also told Graphic Online that he publicly relayed Ayariga’s withdrawal of the allegation on the floor of parliament and would have expected him to challenge him if he was wrong.
“You can go for the Parliamentary Hansard, I have nothing more to say”, he said.
Joseph Osei-Owusu, (MP for Bekwai and First Deputy Speaker) and Chairman of the Appointments Committee
Ayariga had Friday stirred controversy when he claimed that an amount of GH¢3,000.00 handed each of the minority members on the committee assuming it to be sitting allowances for committee work, had been returned to their Chief Whip, Mubarak Muntaka for onward dispatch to the chairman of the committee after it was realized that the money was intended to procure their approval of a ministerial nominee.
“We stand by Ayariga and we have returned the money”, said Suhuyini who added, “We will all be mad with him if he did because it was our collective decision.” He also did not believe there was any truth nor propriety in publications directly quoting Mahama Ayariga as withdrawing the allegation but sourced to the Appointments Committee Chairman.
“We all returned the money, it happened,” he said, explaining that “If they don’t want to make an issue out of that because it impugns on the integrity of parliament, fine”.
For Okudzeto Ablakwa, there could be no doubt of the attempted bribery.
“They actually tried and we have returned the money”, he said.
“It was obvious the chairman was worked up over why Ayariga should go public with the issue but that was our decision. Parliamentary work is serious business and we are not here to joke. Yes, they may outvote us by their numbers but we cannot renege on our duties to the people of Ghana”, he said.
The nominee-Minister for Energy, Boakye Agyarko, alleged to be the source of the money, has denied the bribery allegation and said he would have his lawyers respond to the issue.