Minority challenges President Mills and Kwame Pianim

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The Minority in Parliament has challenged His Excellency President John Atta Mills and Mr. Kwame Pianim to furnish the public with the identities of the persons involved in the alleged attempted bribery of the President.

 
This was contained in a statement signed by Mr. Frederick Opare Ansah, Minority Chief Whip .

 
"The criminal code Act 29 clearly criminalizes both the giver and the taker of a bribe including attempted bribery...since the President and Mr Pianim have both failed to report the matter to the police, then they are both culpable," Mr. Opare-Ansah said.

 
The Minority further questioned why the President of the land could refuse bribe from people in the presence of a leading opposition member describing the issue as laughable and questionable.

 
"Would one be wrong in concluding that the episode involving an attempt to bribe a president in the presence of a frontline political opponent is either a set up or a farcical stage-managed event," the statement said.

 
Earlier this week, the New Patriotic Party said it was dismayed by the revelation that President John Evans Atta-Mills, the highest public servant, was refusing to expose criminals who attempted to bribe him.

The statement by the NPP noted further that if people had become so emboldened that they were able to walk up to the highest office of the land and seek to offer bribes to the President of the Republic, then this country is losing the fight against corruption. Such people should be exposed immediately.

The NPP also questioned why the President had failed to cause the arrest of such criminals at the time the incident happened and as such further strengthens claims that the President was shielding wrongdoers and the NDC government's lack of commitment to fighting corruption.

The Statement concluded by saying that coming at a time of ongoing investigations into the Mabey & Johnson corruption scandal, the revelation of President's protection for the criminals was embarrassing to the Presidency, the NDC government, as well as the nation.