Bribery saga: Report bogus, I willl petition CHRAJ again – Journalist

A freelance Journalist, Listowel Nana Poku says he will reinforce his earlier petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice(CHRAJ) to look into the bribery scandal in parliament insisting that the committee’s report on the matter is highly unfair and bogus.

“I have read the report extensively and I can conclude that parliament is taking Ghanaians for granted. When Madam Kate Addo released a statement on the matter when the issue broke, I foresaw this coming, because parliament was bent on shielding persons indicted in the matter,” he told host Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM.

Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, Thursday, rendered a half-hearted apology to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, after the Ad Hoc Committee tasked to investigate the alleged bribery allegation against the Appointments Committee found him guilty of contempt of Parliament.

The Bawku Central legislator who was so emotional but unremorseful in his approach, challenged the verdict of the Committee chaired by Hon. Joe Ghartey before going ahead to render his apology to the Speaker.

The Committee had found Hon. Ayariga guilty of contempt of Parliament on the strength of Article 122 of the 1992 Constitution, Section 32 of the Parliament Act, 1965 (Act 300) and Orders 28 and 30(2) of the Standing Orders of Parliament.

The Committee therefore recommended to the Speaker to reprimand him in accordance with Section 35 of the Parliament Act, 1965 (Act 300).

But being a first time offender, the Committee recommended that Hon. Ayariga rendered unqualified apology to Parliament, purging himself of contempt.

Commenting on the development on Kasapa FM, Listowel said it was obvious that there was no way the Ad hoc committee would have incriminated the persons involved after it had already taken stance on the matter when the issue broke.

“The report is flawed because, parliament had everything to hide under the carpet. They gagged witnesses during the hearing and on top of it too they were not open and transparent. There is a collusion between both sides to protect the integrity of parliament, so no wonder the report has turned out this way.

“I believe there was something fishy and I can tell you that I’m already knocking on the doors of CHRAJ to properly institute a probe into the matter. The insincere apology of Mahama Ayariga even tells you there is something wrong with the report. Parliament is not being truthful.”

A petition earlier forwarded by Listowel to the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice(CHRAJ) to probe the Appointments Committee of parliament following the allegation of bribery against some members of the committee was turned down.

The petitioner, Nana Kusi-Poku Listowel, had asked CHRAJ to investigate the allegation since parliament cannot probe itself.

But CHRAJ said it will hold its investigation in abeyance awaiting the outcome of parliament’s committee investigating the matter.