The Criminal Investigation Department, CID of the Ghana Police Service has begged former Mahama appointees for accusing them of an alleged salary scandal.
According to former Deputy Education Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, he was served with a letter from the CID asking him to assist in an ongoing investigation about a financial malfeasance which happened between January 2013 to December 2016 where he allegedly received salaries as an MP and a minister.
However, speaking on Accra based radio station, Joy FM, former Deputy Education Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa disclosed that he has since received a phone call from the CID apologizing and withdrawing the letter inviting him to assist in a salary scandal investigation.Â
Reports indicate that some 22 ministers under the Former John Mahama led administration were taking double salaries.
According to sources from the Daily Guide, the ministers who were Members of Parliament (MPs), were drawing salaries as MPs and at the same time receiving their monthly salaries as ministers, contrary to the law.
Some of the ministers involved are said to have agreed to refund the moneys back to the state when they were confronted by security agents.
Per the constitution, MPs, who are appointed ministers, may either choose to receive their salaries as ministers or take what their colleague MPs are taking – although other benefits are attached.
Some of the names mentioned are Alban Bagbin, MP for Nadowli West in the Upper West Region; ET Mensah, one of the ‘three wise men’ under Mahama’s presidency and former MP for Ningo Prampram; Haruna Iddrisu, former Minister of Employment and Labour Relations and MP for Tamale South.
Minority to sue CID and Newspapers over Ministers' double salary allegation?
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has served notice it will sue the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police and some newspapers following allegations that former government appointees took double salaries while in office.
Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson addressing the Media Tuesday, April 10, 2018 expressed the belief that the current government is resorting to intimidating tactics on its members to prevent them from criticizing the Akufo-Addo administration.
He explained, “Last week, twenty-five of us received strange letters and phone calls from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service inviting us to confer with Mrs. M.Y.T. Addo-Danquah, Deputy Commissioner of Police and to assist in investigations of allegations of double salaries made against us by Government.
“In a bizarre twist, as we were readying to appear before the CID this week beginning from yesterday considering that we had been grouped to appear on separate days, the CID called some of our colleagues to inform them that they were no longer required to appear as they had made mistakes with 18 of the 25 Minority MPs originally contacted,â€
"As many as 18 of the 25 invitations have since been withdrawn on the basis of mistakes committed by the Government.
Government must really be in an indecent hurry to divert attention from its failings by this pathetic attempt to cow us into submission. No wonder Government ended up with eggs on its face yesterday.â€, Mr. Forson stated.