The Chairman of the Appointments Committee in Parliament, Joe Osei Owusu stated that he failed as a chairman of the Appointment Committee to request for evidence about the bribery allegations because, the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, told him the allegation was a set-up.
Member of Parliament for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga on January 27 2017 alleged on Accra-based Radio Gold that Mr Agyarko, whose approval had been frozen pending the determination of certain issues, gave out GHS3000 as bribe to each of the minority members of the Appointment committee with the aim of influencing their decision to approve his nomination without further delay.
The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga had on several platforms alleged that the Minister of Energy Boakye Agyarko attempted to bribe some members of the Appointments Committee to approve his nomination after a rancorous vetting.
The Parliament of Ghana as a result of the Bribery allegation has enacted a five-member committee to investigate the allegation, which sat for the first time on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.
When Mr. Joe Osei Owusu appeared before the committee of inquiry which was enacted by Parliament of Ghana to probe the bribery allegation, he stated that, in a meeting with Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa, Mahama Ayariga, Joseph Yieleh Chireh and some MPs, Mr. Ablakwa stated categorically that they were only “spreading the corruption allegation.
“I had insisted that the allegation should be investigatedâ€. He could not however tell if the North Tongu MP was joking or serious when he “confessed that they put that (allegation) out as equalizationâ€.
According to Joe Osei Owusu, he however became angry when Mahama Ayariga went on radio stations to continue to peddle “untruth about meâ€.
He also stated unequivocally that he never took money from anyone or discussed anything that has to do with money with any member of the Appointments Committee.
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