Bribery saga: CID probe premature – Osae

It would be too early for the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to take charge of investigations into the alleged bribery scandal involving the leadership of the Appointments Committee of Parliament and Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko, Dr Eric Oduro Osae, Dean of Graduate Studies, Institute of Local Government Studies, has said.

According to him, the CID will only come in at a time there is credible evidence established leading to prosecution.

His comments follow a call by pressure group OccupyGhana for an independent police investigation into the bribery scandal.

In a statement, OccupyGhana said: “We call for an independent police investigation into the damning allegations and a no-holds-barred criminal prosecution of anyone found to be on the wrong side of Ghanaian law in this scandalous development.

“In the same vein, we demand the harshest of parliamentary and possibly criminal sanctions for those making the allegations if they prove to be false. We respectfully call on the Police CID to immediately empanel a team to commence investigations and establish the truth, or the lack thereof, in any part of the nation-wrecking allegations.”

However, speaking in an interview with host Chief Jerry Forson on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Tuesday January 31, Dr Osae said: “I will not call for the CID to probe this matter now. The Speaker has the powers to constitute a committee outside of parliament to look into the matter because the leadership of parliament is involved in the matter. I think CHRAJ must take charge of the investigations.

“The CID should not come in at this time, they can come in only when there is credible evidence that can lead to prosecution.”