Ghartey’s committee report is disappointing –Think tank

The Ghartey committee findings and analysis submitted to parliament on the bribery scandal is by large unsatisfactory, policy think tank Strategic Thinkers Network (STRANEK) has opined.

According to STRANEK, two of the Committee’s Terms of Reference were not completely investigated to ascertain if Hon. Osei-Owusu took money from Hon. Boakye-Agyarko and gave it to Hon. Mubarak Muntaka to be disbursed to members of the Appointments Committee, and to establish whether there were attempts to bribe Members of the Appointments Committee. And as a result of these lapses makes the Ghartey’s committee report substandard.

“We, at Strategic Thinkers Network (STRANEK), have read the report submitted by the Joe Ghartey Committee and state categorically that we are not satisfied with the Committee’s findings and analysis. Two of Committee’s Terms of Reference were not exhaustively investigated, to wit, to establish whether Hon. Osei-Owusu took money from Hon. Boakye-Agyarko and gave it to Hon. Mubarak Muntaka to be distributed to members of the Appointments Committee, and to establish whether there were attempts to bribe Members of the Appointments Committee.”

Per Primenewsghana’s earlier report, the five-member ad-hoc Parliamentary committee which was set up to investigate allegations by Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga that Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko had attempted to bribe his way through vetting found Mr Ayariga in contempt of Parliament.

In a 56-page report, the committee said it “came to the firm conclusion that Mr Mahama Ayariga is in contempt of parliament on the strength of Article 122 of the 1992 Constitution, section 32 of the Parliament Act, 1965 (Act 300) and Orders 28 and 30 (2) of the Standing Orders of Parliament”.

However, in a statement signed by STRANEK’s Executive Director, Nii Tettey Tetteh, said that the report left out some loopholes that as a matter of urgency needs to be addressed.

“The issue of the CCTV footage must be revisited and the footage made available for public consumption. The issue of the testimony of other members of the Appointments Committee must be revisited and their evidence taken publicly. The issue of the conflicting testimony of the Chairman of the Appointments Committee Hon. Osei Owusu must be thoroughly examined. These are likely to plug some of the glaring loopholes in the Report.”

Policy think tank, Strategic Thinkers Network (STRANEK), also appealed to the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to help fight such an endemic canker that’s stroking Ghana’s legislature into disrepute.

“We therefore call on the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to take up the matter and do justice to it, devoid of personal interest and political expediency.
We cannot allow the canker of corruption to eat into the fabric of our legislature. The fight to cleanse the nation of the canker must continue unabated.”