Political corruption rising under Akufo-Addo – Batidam

The Chairman of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption, Daniel Batidam has described as “dangerous” what he says is the rise of “political corruption” under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo.

President Akufo-Addo for decades has been touted as incorruptible, a tag which helped him win the 2016 presidential elections by 53.72percent, collecting 5,755,758 of the valid votes cast against former President John Mahama’s 44.53percent, representing 4,777,188 valid votes cast.

However, barely two years in power, the Akufo-Addo government has thus far been rocked with close to 10 alleged corrupt scandals, the latest being the alleged financial malfeasance at the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMT).

The board of the MMT has announced it is setting up an internal committee to investigate the bus-purchase scandal that has rocked the firm.

The decision was taken after Starr News investigations uncovered financial and administrative irregularities in the award of contract for some 300 new buses for the company.

The Managing Director Bennette Aboagye and his personal assistant, have been ordered to proceed on leave with immediate effect over the allegation.

The head of procurement, Rose Owusu, is also facing accusations of possible complicity in the alleged corruption scandal.

Commenting on the recent scandal, Batidam who advised former President Mahama on corruption bemoaned that corruption is gradually being institutionalized under the leadership of the “incorruptible” Akufo-Addo.

“This [MMT scandal] appears to be dominantly political corruption, in that, there’s always something to do with party people,” he stated on Starr Today Thursday April 19.

“It is the same thing recently, we heard about one NPP MP’s wife,” he continued, “being given some big project and then the PPA, the agency which is supposed to be regulating this, itself is coming out to justify its awarding of the contract.”

“I think that, what we are seeing is a very dangerous situation as far as political corruption is concerned,” he warned.