Mahama Ayariga could be suspended - Majority chief whip

Europa

January 30, 2017 11:43 AM

Mahama Ayariga had on Friday indicated on Accra-based Radio Gold that Mr Agyarko, then Energy Minister-designate, had attempted to bribe the members of the Appointments Committee of parliament with GHc3000 each, in a bid to lure them to approve him as the Energy Minister.

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The Majority Chief whip in parliament, Ameyaw Cheremeh has indicated that the MP for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga, could be suspended should his bribery allegation against the Appointment Committee turn out to be false.

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The NDC Member of Parliament said they (the minority) received the money thinking it was sitting allowance for being part of the Appointments Committee only to be told it was coming from the minister designate.

He said they rejected the money and asked that the money be returned to him.

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The Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Mr Osei Owusu, the minority chief whip in parliament, Mubarak Muntaka, and the Energy Minister have denied the claims.

But Mr Ayariga has insisted that money exchanged hands and has called on the Speaker of parliament to probe the matter.

Speaking on the matter, the majority chief whip, Ameyaw Cheremeh warned that the Bawku Central legislator risks expulsion from the House should he fail to provide enough evidence to back his claim.

“It is not the duty of any member of parliament to pay monies on behalf of parliament. So that shows that his [Ayariga’s] story is not true. He is just making up the story,” Mr. Cheremeh told Accra-based Starr FM.

He added: “It is not the duty of Honourable Muntaka [Mubarak] to go and take money from the accounts office to go and pay to the minority. Neither is it my duty as the majority chief whip to go and take monies meant for majority members and pay to them. That is not what we do.”

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Meanwhile, the Minority Leader in parliament, Haruna Iddrisu has said he supports a full-scale investigation into the matter.

Europa