CHRAJ must probe unsatisfactory Joe Ghartey report - STRANEK

Strategic Thinkers Network (STRANEK), a policy think tank has stated that, the report submitted by the Joe Ghartey led Committee set up to probe the bribery allegation that hit the Appointments Committee is not satisfactory.

The committee in its report and by a unanimous decision, stated that, there was no evidence that Boakye Agyarko gave money to Joe Osei Owusu to bribe MPs and Mahama Ayariga was charged with contempt and asked to apologise.

However, the MP who expressed his displeasure at the report, raised some legal concerns suggesting that, the committee had no such powers to charge him in contempt of Parliament.

STRANEK in their statement said after reading the report ‘’state categorically that we are not satisfied with the findings and analysis.’’

The report according to them leaves loopholes that must be addressed and they called on the Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the matter. The issue of the CCTV footage they suggested must be revisited. The statement concluded saying, ‘’ we cannot allow the canker of corruption to eat into the fabric of our legislature. The fight to cleanse the nation of the canker must continue unabated.’’

Below is the full statement:

JOE GHARTEY COMMITTEE REPORT NOT SATISFACTORY – STRANEK

After almost two months of investigations, the Joe Ghartey Committee has finally released its report.

The Member of Parliament for Essikadu-Ketan constituency, who doubles as the Minister for Railways Development in the Akufo-Addo Administration, was mandated by Parliament to lead a five-member committee to investigate the Agyarko bribery allegation scandal, in which members of the Appointments Committee of Parliament alleged that certain monies they received were not their allowances but rather monies supposed to have been given to the Chairman of the Appointments Committee by Hon. Boakye-Agyarko to influence members of the Committee to approve his ministerial nomination.

We, at Strategic Thinkers Network (STRANEK), have read the report submitted by the Joe Ghartey Committee and state categorically that we are not satisfied with the Committee’s findings and analysis.

Two of Committee’s Terms of Reference were not exhaustively investigated, to wit, to establish whether Hon. Osei-Owusu took money from Hon. Boakye-Agyarko and gave it to Hon. Mubarak Muntaka to be distributed to members of the Appointments Committee, and to establish whether there were attempts to bribe Members of the Appointments Committee.

The Report of the Committee leaves loopholes which need to be addressed. The issue of the CCTV footage must be revisited and the footage made available for public consumption. The issue of the testimony of other members of the Appointments Committee must be revisited and their evidence taken publicly.

The issue of the conflicting testimony of the Chairman of the Appointments Committee Hon. Osei Owusu must be thoroughly examined. These are likely to plug some of the glaring loopholes in the Report.

We therefore call on the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to take up the matter and do justice to it, devoid of personal interest and political expediency.

We cannot allow the canker of corruption to eat into the fabric of our legislature. The fight to cleanse the nation of the canker must continue unabated. We are all involved in building our motherland Ghana.

Signed: Nii Tettey Tetteh

Executive Director

Charles Kwadade

Deputy Executive Director