Bribery scandal: Televise committee sittings — Akomea

The sittings of the five-member parliamentary committee formed by the Speaker of Parliament to look into allegations of bribery against the Appointments Committee must be televised, Nana Akomea, Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said.

Parliament with the approval of both sides of the house formed an ad hoc committee to investigate the allegation made by Bawku Central MP Mahamama against the leadership of the Appointments Committee and Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko.

The decision by parliament to set up the committee has divided public opinion with some anti-graft bodies, including the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), calling for an independent body for such investigations.

Commenting on this matter on Multi TV’s Newsfile on Saturday February 4, Mr Akomea, a former MP, said: “The issue involves parliament itself and senior members of parliament. Parliament itself is investigating the matter and so the public interest will be served if the proceedings are done in public – that is, televised.

“I will wish that parliament itself will insist [on that] because of the problem of conflict of interest.

It is not an external body that is investigating parliament, it is an internal parliamentary body investigating the conduct of Members of Parliament. So, to improve credibility and the public accountability, they should have these proceedings televised.”