Parliamentary aspirant fights disqualification by Vetting Committee

A disqualified parliamentary aspirant of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Trobu Constituency, Kingsley Nsiah Poku, has petitioned the National Parliamentary Appeals Committee of the Party, to reverse the decision of the Vetting Committee.

He claims that the basis for declaring him ineligible to join the race for the parliamentary ticket is both unreasonable and completely unfair.

The Committee’s decision, he says, should not be allowed to stand because it is wrong and not supported by facts.

In his 10-point petition, a copy was given to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Accra, he said, the reason given by the Committee that he had been involved in a visa fraud, was lacking sincerity.

He flatly denied committing any such offence and said he was rather a victim.

He gave the background to the incident, which according to him, happened in or about April, last year.

One Anne Cynthia Tamakloe, he said, received from him a total of US$67,500.00 on the pretext of procuring United States (US) visas for certain persons he introduced to her, but failed to deliver on her promise.

He consequently made a formal report to the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters and the woman was arrested and charged with the offence of defrauding by false pretense.

A police investigation report on the case, signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Isaac Quist, Director-Administration, he added, was made available to the Vetting Committee.

The evidence, he said, was there for all to see that he was neither a suspect nor a convict and should therefore not suffer for no wrongdoing.

Mr. Nsiah Poku and another person, Lincoln Edward Addo, filed their nomination to contest the NPP parliamentary primary election in the Trobu Constituency but both men, have been disqualified leaving the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Moses Anim, as the sole candidate.