Ignore false, empty bribery allegations against ‘noble’ Haruna Iddrisu – General Mattheen

Jinsah Abdul-Mattheen Sali, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress has come to the defence of the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu following allegations of bribery and corruption levelled against him by South African news portal, News24.

General Mattheen as he is known within the political circles vehemently rejected the allegations, affirming his confidence in the nobility and selflessness of the former Minority Leader.

General Mattheen noted that the bribery allegations are calculated attempts by certain persons to tarnish the image of Haruna Iddrisu and destroy his political career.

He explained that he has known Haruna Iddrisu for ages and can vouch for his credibility as a principled man committed to the course of the country and that he will never engage in any action that is adverse to the collective interest of the country.

“Those reports coming from the South African news portal are nothing but pure fabrications. Hon. Haruna Iddrisu is a noble and honest man who I can say for a fact would not engage in any such action. Since I have known him, he always put the interest of the nation ahead of his own. He is a selfless and patriotic individual so let’s ignore them. I’m telling all Ghanaians to ignore the speculations,” he said.

Poking holes in the reports by the South African media house, General Mattheen noted that the allegations have no basis and that they couldn’t establish a link between the Director of Ghana Infrastructure Company, Asumah Dokurugu.

“I have read the report and there is no iota of truth in this. There is no evidence backing the claims, just mere speculations. Why do you wake up and destroy someone’s image with just accusations and no evidence? Hon. Haruna Iddrisu is a man of high repute and I can state with any sense of doubt those allegations have no merit. They are mere propaganda,” he added.

An investigative report by News24 specifically mentioned the Tamale South legislator, who allegedly benefited from bribes to the tune of over US$2.5 million (47 million rands).

The investigative report delved into the activities of siblings Rushil and Nishani Singh, who operated the Ghana Infrastructure Company (GIC) between 2017 and 2022, which indicated that the MP was a 'broker' for the company in Ghana.

In a rejoinder copied to GhanaWeb, Haruna Iddrisu categorically denied brokering any deal for GIC in Ghana, or any involvement in the company's affairs.

He stated that he had never received any payment from GIC or the Singh siblings, saying, "I will not succumb to cheap blackmail."

He added that the allegations against him were mere propaganda meant to tarnish his hard-earned reputation.

"To be clear, and for the avoidance of doubt, I have never at any point in time, received personally, directed to be paid to, benefited from, or been aware of, any unlawful, illegal or immoral payments made by either GIC or the Singhs. Also, I have never brokered any deals to benefit GIC and/or the Singhs.

"... I vehemently deny these allegations and categorically refute any implication of wrongdoing. This unfounded allegation not only seeks to tarnish my reputation but also undermines the trust and integrity of my office as the Member of Parliament for the people of Tamale South," the MP wrote.

The MP also stated that the "so-called investigative report" failed to provide any evidence of his association with the South African company or its owners.

EK