Cash for seat saga: Committee clears Alan, others

The five-member Ad hoc Parliamentary Committee that probed the alleged extortion of monies from some expatriates businessmen by the Ministry of Trade and Industry has cleared the latter of any wrong doing.

According to the Committee, after the hearings and the analysis and evaluation of the evidence adduced before it, it has come to the conclusion that there is no merit in the allegations leveled against the Ministry as contained in the motion and which culminated in the setting up of the Special Committee.

On January 5, 2018, the Minority Chief Whip moved a motion at an emergency Parliamentary sitting calling on the House to investigate the alleged levies collected by the Ministry of Trade & Industry of the Ghana Cedi equivalent of various sums up to US$100,000.00 from expatriate businesses and related matters during the recently held Ghana Expatriates Business Awards in Accra.

According to him, the documents at his disposal clearly showed that some monies were collected from expatriates, noting that such was unethical.

The motion was seconded by the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The Speaker of Parliament Prof. Mike Oquaye subsequently set up a five member ad hoc committee to investigate the matter.

The Committee which has concluded its work laid the report on the floor of Parliament last week and its expected to be debated this week.

In the report a copy of which has been sighted by Kasapafmonline.com, the Committee recommended that “The Controller and Accountant General and the Ministry of Finance should consider in the formulation of the new Regulation of the PFM Act, adequate provision to cater for public private partnership arrangement and emerging or contemporary issues.”

“That there is the need to have a second look at the recall mechanism and ensure that is not needlessly invoked at any time because of its mandatory nature in the constitution. Upon a recall, Mr Speaker may have to establish that there is a “prima facie” case and if Mr Speaker is not satisfied that there is a good reason for the summoning, he may dispense with the meeting. This test is likely to curtail frivolous and vexatious request for a recall.”

“That the practice of some Members of Parliament trooping to the media to make allegations against highly placed officials must cease. The Committee is of the view that Members of Parliament who indulge in such acts ought to be heard in Parliament if they should thereafter bring those matters before Parliament for Parliament to deliberate on the matter.”