Bribery Scandal: Ghartey Committee report out today

The five-member ad hoc committee investigating the bribery scandal that hit the Appointments Committee of Parliament will present its report to Parliament today.

The chairman of the committee, Joe Ghartey, gave an indication last Friday the committee will lay its report on Wednesday and “it was contained in the business statement that was read on the floor on Friday [March 24, 2017].”

Last week StarrFMonline.com gathered that fresh evidence stalled efforts by the committee to complete its work, coming at a time when the committee was wrapping up its report. It followed earlier report that the Ghartey Committee requested for more time to complete its work.

Speaking to the media on the matter, the Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Mathew Nyindam, assured that the report is ready.

“I raise that issue with the majority leader…I asked him when this Joe Ghartey thing…report [will be ready] because the public is interested. We are also interested as a House because it is an alleged issue and we all have to clear it,” he said.

He added: “According to [Majority] leader, a member said he has some kind of evidence to tender in. So, they have to hold on for him to bring it so that it doesn’t look like somebody is fighting against the other.”

The special parliamentary committee which was set up to probe the bribery claim against members of the appointments committee began sittings Wednesday, February 15.

The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central and Member of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Mahama Ayariga, in January accused the Energy minister, Boakye Agyarko, of attempting to bribe the minority members on the committee to clear him, following his vetting- but they rejected it.

According to him, the energy minister’s bribery attempt was made through the chairman of the committee, Joe Osei Owusu, which was subsequently given to the minority caucus through its chief whip, Muntaka Mubarak.

Both the minority chief whip and chairman Osei Owusu have denied the claim.