The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is set to open formal investigations into allegations of bribery against the Presiding Member of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Abraham Boadi.
A petition presented to CHRAJ alleged that the Presiding Member led a delegation of some selected Assembly Members to Accra to meet and negotiate with an investor, Alphar Power Company Limited, on behalf of the Assembly to facilitate a contract for street lighting.
The petitioners further alleged that the company, in its quest to secure a contract with the KMA, sponsored the air travel and paid the delegation an amount of GHC30,000.
Also, it is alleged that Mr Boadi and his colleagues were promised an additional GHC200,000 if they are able to facilitate the company’s bid to secure a contract with KMA.
“I am convinced that there is enough ground to investigate these serious allegations of bribery on the part of these public officers.
“This is against the backdrop that some of these officers have openly confirmed in the media, the veracity of their reported trip and even sought to justify the propriety of their action,” the petitioner Francis Dodovi said in his petition to CHRAJ.
The former government appointee at the KMA in an interview told Joy News the evidence of his allegation is contained in an earlier petition sent to Mayor by two individuals.
According to him, Mr Boadi had earlier confirmed on Kessben FM, a Kumasi-based radio that he went to the said meeting in his individual capacity and not as someone representing the Assembly.
Mr. Dodovi said he does not believe the assembly will do a thorough job in awarding the contract as they have already been compromised.
“I want to prevent a corrupt practice from happening. Considering the petition sent to the Mayor, I can’t tell whether they were influenced or not, but I want further investigations by a neutral body,” he said.
When Joy FM spoke to the Presiding Member, he confirmed that indeed they met with the investor in his individual capacity on a private visit.
“We went there as Assembly members in our areas, not as a KMA Presiding Member. If we did we would have taken a letter from the Assembly before meeting them.
“If they claim I was given GHC30,000 then CHRAJ can investigate all that. Nothing like that happened. We were given T&T of GHC500 each by the Assembly member who claims to be the investor’s representative. In fact, I am happy that the matter is going to be investigated by CHRAJ,” he told Joy News.
Mr Boadi who said he is happy with CHRAJ’s involvement and indicated his willingness to cooperate also added all he did was advise the investors to officially write to the Assembly for the official process to start.
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