Vetting committee has never taken bribes or gifts from nominees — Bernard Ahiafor

Chairperson of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, has rejected allegations of financial inducements in the committee’s work, insisting that members have never accepted bribes, gifts or money from nominees appearing before them.

Mr Ahiafor said that since taking over as Chairperson of the committee, neither he nor, to his knowledge, other members had received any financial benefit from nominees undergoing vetting.

Speaking on TV3’s Daily Brief on Friday, September 4, he said the committee had maintained a firm position against nominees offering money or other inducements to its members.

“So far as I am concerned as a Chairperson of the Vetting Committee, I admonish all the nominees that nobody should come to them with issues relating to money and they'll pass it to anybody,” he said.

“Ever since I assumed the position as the Chairman of the Vetting Committee, we've not taken anything from any nominee that appear before us,” he stated.

His comments follow the circulation of a purported memorandum allegedly signed by Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP, Patricia Appiagyei, claiming she had returned GH¢70,000 allegedly given to her by the Majority Chief Whip in connection with the vetting of 2 ministerial nominees and 3 Supreme Court nominees.

Mr Ahiafor welcomed the decision by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the matter, saying an inquiry was necessary to establish the facts surrounding the allegations.

"The OSP should probe into the matter and let's see what will happen," he added.

The OSP has since commenced a preliminary investigation into the authenticity of the purported document, the source of the alleged funds and the purpose for which the money was allegedly provided.

The anti-corruption agency has also invited Ms Appiagyei to assist with its investigation.

According to the OSP, the contents of the purported memorandum raised concerns because it allegedly questioned the source of the funds and suggested "that it had the hallmarks of extortion of the nominees."

Meanwhile, Second Deputy Minority Whip and Weija-Gbawe MP, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has also dismissed the allegations, maintaining that there was “no truth whatsoever” in claims that Ms Appiagyei received a GH¢70,000 ‘gift’.

Mr Shaib said the Deputy Minority Leader was disturbed by the reports and had no knowledge of the source of the purported document or the signature attributed to her.

“There is no truth whatsoever in that story. I have spoken particularly to my Deputy Minority Leader who has been very upset with the seeming whatever is going round. She doesn’t even understand it and she is very upset,” Jerry Ahmed Shaib said on Friday, September 4.