Muntaka asked Ursula to pay bribe before her vetting - Ken Agyapong

Controversial Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong has made a jaw-dropping allegation against Minority Chief Whip and Asawase MP, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, accusing him of involvement in corruption by soliciting for bribe from Ursula Owusu-Ekuful who had been nominated as Minister of Communication-designate; MyNewsGH.com can report.

Mr Kennedy Agyapong made this revelation in an interview monitored by MyNewsGH.com in which he said Ursula Owusu-Ekuful refused to pay the bribe when he (Kennedy Agyapong) informed her about Muntaka’s ‘demand’.

Muntaka had allegedly told Mr Kennedy Agyapong to inform Ursula “to come and see them and do something” ahead of her vetting as Minister of Communication.

Ursula, however, told Kennedy Agyapong to inform Muntaka that “I trust my credentials to work for me before the Appointments Committee. I won’t pay a dime to anyone”.

Before her vetting, many Ghanaians had said Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful was going to be heavily grilled following some of her utterances in the past and is not likely to be approved by consensus.

Ken Agyapong spilled this beans when Muntaka brought his matter before the Privileges Committee of Parliament for comments he Kennedy Agyapong passed calling the house of Parliament “cheap”, “useless” among other words.

This new Bribery Scandal against Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka is not the first time his name has come up in bribery attempt.

Readers of MyNewsGh.com will recall how in a jaw dropping claim by Mahama Ayariga, the then Energy Minister designate, Boakye Agyarko had given an amount of GH?3,000 to them; an amount they received thinking it was their sitting allowance, but returned it later when they became aware it came from Boakye Agyarko.

According to Ayariga, they had discussed issues about their sitting allowances with their chief whip Muntaka Mubarak and he promised to find out from the Chairman of the Committee Joe Osei Owusu as to when the allowances will be paid.

He said they later recieved the amount from the chief whip, Muntaka who told them the money was coming from the Chairman of the committee only for them to hear it was coming from Boakye Agyarko.

Ayariga said they have had to return the amount.

I swear by Allah!

At the time, MyNewsGH.com could not independently confirm the claims being made by the MP.

But the Minority chief whip, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka says it was untrue that he gave the MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga money meant to bribe him [Ayariga] and other minority members of Parliament’s appointment committee to support the approval of Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko.

According to him, he does not recall ever giving Ayariga any gift purportedly from the Chairman of the Appointments Committee [Joseph Osei-Owusu].

But denying the claim on Joy FM’s Newsfile program on Saturday, the Asawase legislator, Muntaka swore to have no knowledge about the claims of Mahama Ayariga.

“I’m a Muslim and Ayariga is a Muslim. I’m swearing by the Allah that created him that I never gave Ayariga anything and I said it was from Osei-Owusu. Osei Owusu has never discussed any money issue with me. He has never given me any money to be given to Ayariga and I’ve never given Ayariga or anybody any money saying that it was coming from the Chairman.”

Muntaka suggested that the leadership of Parliament should take up the matter and thoroughly investigate it to ascertain the truth.

“I think that the leaders have to take this thing up seriously. I don’t know where Ayariga is having this information that he is purporting,” he said.

Committee formed

A committee was formed by the speaker to look into the matter. The committee concluded that the issue lacks merit.

This fresh allegation however comes to reinforce the fact that it was possible, if true, that the minority might have taken money from nominees who agreed to give.