The Public Interest Advocacy Group has called on the Joe Ghartey committee to make public, the report on its investigation into the bribery allegations made against the Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko and some members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
The Chairman of the group , Aaron Abdul Rahman, who made the appeal on Eyewitness News, said the disclosure of details of the report will boost the confidence of Ghanaians and the international community in the country’s institutions.
“We are worried that such an allegation, if not well precipitated and their findings made public, will have some negative repercussions on our country. We are therefore asking that we publish the report for the international community to know the details and for that matter the truth.”
The group in a separate statement issued earlier, explained that the report when published, will also ensure what it called “objective analysis.”
“The final content of the report if made public for all stakeholders to have access to it, will aid us to do an objective analysis as to whether or not, objectivity can be cited in the entire report considering the information we have at hand already.”
“Though the fashion of interrogation vis-à-vis the questioning mode and personality posturing of persons at both the Committee level and some of the witnesses gave a lot of reasons for observers to be worried of what is expected of the report, we still reckon that, the final content of the report if made public for all stakeholders to have access to it, will aid us to do an objective analysis.”
A five-member committee was set up to look into allegations that the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, bribed some members of the Appointments Committee to ensure his approval as a minister.
Discussions on the report, which has been laid before Parliament upon the advice of the Committee’s Chairman will take place today ‘
[Thursday].
The statement from the group is below
JOE GHARTEY COMMITTEE REPORT ON ALLEGED BRIBERY SCANDAL SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC
Quite skeletal information gathered from the media points to the readiness of the Joe Ghartey Committee to release the final report on the bribery scandal as alleged against parliament house of Ghana’s Republic today, March 29, 2017 which coincidentally falls on the birthday and exact day (Wednesday) of President of Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Ado Danquah Akuffo-Addo; we take this opportunity to wish our President a Happy Birthday.
It important to recall that, the Committee was caused to investigate the alleged bribery scandal that hit the august house during the vetting of Mr. Boakye Agyarko, now known as the Hon. Minister of Energy by no mean a person, but a member of the august house in the person of Hon. Mahama Ayariga.
Some Civil Society Organisations in the likes of African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) have already mounted doubts over the possible objectivity expected of the Joe Ghartey Committee’s Report but we of Public Interest Advocacy Group (PIAG) hold a different view. PIAG believes that, it is too early yet to begin to cast doubts over the possible objectivity of the expected report. As honuourable as the Committee members are, we anticipate with the greatest respect that, they will do a good job that will indemnify the august house of its lost notional image in the eyes observers in Ghana’s public gallery and other stakeholders including the international community.
Though the fashion of interrogation vis-à-vis the questioning mode and personality posturing of persons at both the Committee level and some of the witnesses gave a lot of reasons for observers to be worried of what is expected of the report, but we still reckon that, the final content of the report if made public for all stakeholders to have access to it, will aid us to do an objective analysis as to whether or not, objectivity can be cited in the entire report considering the information we have at hand already.
With the greatest respect once again, we of the Public Interest Advocacy Group (PIAG) call on the leadership of our august house to facilitate with adequate speed, all processes leading to making the Joe Ghartey Committee Report on the bribery scandal that was alleged to have hit Ghana’s Parliamentary House. We will continue to believe that, on the practice of accountable democracy, Ghana will continue to be the beacon of hope of Africa and for that under no circumstance should her image be dented through her parliament house with such a serious alleged scandal.
We will continue to collaborate with Government, other Civil Society Organisations, Stakeholders and the international community to ensure that, Ghana’s image in the face of the practice of accountable democracy is not tampered with in favour of any personal or parochial interest or gains.
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