Cash for seat: an independent body will settle issues- GII

The Ghana Integrity Initiative, GII, has called for an independent body to assess the two reports from the Minority and the Majority side to help settle issues regarding the cash for seat saga.

Corporate Affairs manager at GII, Micheal Boadi said the actions of the members both from the Minority and the Majority side on the cash for seat committee has vindicated the position of GII that almost everything in Parliament is being done on partisan grounds.

According to him, an independent body should be used to assess the reports from the two sides for matters regarding the cash for seat saga to be brought to an end.

He bemoaned the partisan posturing of MPs making it difficult for them to pass judgments for the general interest of the Ghanaian public.

Two separate reports have emerged from the five-member ad-hoc committee set to probe cash for seat allegations leveled against the Trade Ministry and organizers of the Ghana Expatriates Awards 2017 edition.

The Minority report on cash for seat saga

Minority members on the cash-for-seat committee task by Parliament to probe allegations against the Trade Ministry for charging between $25,000 and $100,000, to enable expatriates to sit close to President Akufo-Addo at the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards said the Trade Ministry has engaged in serious ethical violations.

The two members from the Minority side, James Klutse Avedzi and Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine in a dissent report said: "The Trade Ministry and Industry engaged in serious ethical violations by allowing its credibility as a public agency to be used to amass profit for a private non-profit organization which it cannot hold to public standards of accountability as well as by using the name of the President of the Republic as a means to make such profit."

Majority clears Trade Ministry of any wrongdoing

Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen and officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry have been cleared of any wrongdoing by the 5-member ad hoc committee of Parliament following extortion allegations made against the ministry.

The 5-member Committee while presenting a 146-page report to Parliament for approval, February 6, 2018, stated: “… After the hearings and the analysis and evaluation of the evidence adduced before it has come to a conclusion that there is no merit in the allegations leveled against the Ministry of Trade and Industry as contained in the Motion and which culminated in the setting up of the Special Committee.”

www.primenewsghana.com/ Ghana News