Accra, July 8, GNA - The Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament on Tuesday returned to conduct full business in the House after staging a walk-out on Monday.
They have gone back on their decision not to take part in any voting in the House as a result of a controversy stirred by Mr Felix Twumasi-Appiah, National Democratic Congress Member for Sene. The Sene MP had during a debate on Monday to approve a motion on a 300 million dollar facility, provoked the Minority by references to an allegation by an NPP member that NPP parliamentarians had taken 5,000 dollars each in support of a Vodafone sale and purchase agreement deal approved by the Fourth Parliament.
The Speaker, Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo, had ruled that the Sene MP should withdraw his statement but the Minority had then decided to walk out in protest and subsequently decided to abstain from any future voting.
The Speaker had also referred the matter of the bribery allegations to the Privileges Committee to investigate.
Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said they had rescinded their decision not to take part in voting or decision taking in the House because they now had information that Mr Twumasi-Appiah had indeed withdrawn statements he made about the 5,000 dollar bribery allegations. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu urged the Privileges Committee to work on the matter quickly because it affects the dignity of the Minority as well as the House.
The media in the past few days has carried reports about the bribery allegations made by Mr P.C. Ofori-Appiah, NPP MP for Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa, about his colleagues.
