The five-member committee chaired by Minister of Railway Development and Member of Parliament for Essikado, Joe Ghartey has found Bawku Central Member of Parliament Mahama Ayariga guilty of contempt of Parliament.
* Hon. Joe Ghartey, Chair of the committee moved for the adoption of the 50-page report to the house on Thursday evening with the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Aaron Micahel Ocquaye presiding.
* According to the report, Mahama Ayariga failed to adduce any evidence to substantiate his allegations of bribery against the Chairman of the Appointments Committee Joe Osei Owusu and Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mohammed.
* Hon. Ghartey stated in his presentation that all statements made by the Hon. member in the media and other platforms were nothing more than rumours, stating a “multiplicity of rumours does not constitute a fact.”
* The Joe Ghartey committee concluded that there was no evidence to support the assertions made by the Bawku Central MP and hence the allegations could not be proven.
* Both Majority and minority leaders Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu and Hon. Haruna Iddrisu respectively commended the committee for their work and prayed that the report would signify a new beginning for parliament.
* The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ocquaye then put the question and with the majority voting to adopt the report, Mahama Ayariga was invited to the Bar of parliament to apologize and be reprimanded.
* However, second deputy speaker of the house and longest serving MP. Hon. Alban Bagbin pleaded for the Hon. member to render the apology from where he stood in the chamber which the speaker obliged.
* But Ayariga questioned the remit of the work done by the committee and concluded by stating “Mr. Speaker, if you say I should apologize, I apologize”
* This threw the house into some disturbances with the Speaker stepping in to adjourn sitting to Friday, March 31, 2017.
The five-member committee chaired by Joe Ghartey has other members including Ben Abdallah Banda Offinso South MP, Ama Pomaa Boateng, Juaben MP, Benson Tongo Baba Talensi MP, Magnus Kofi Amoatey, Yilo Krobo MP.
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