In a joint letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, the three MPs requested Parliament to initiate an internal investigation to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the matter.
“We request you to carry out an internal enquiry into the veracity of the claims made by us in the allegation of attempted bribery of the Minority members of the Appointments Committee of Parliament by the ministerial nominee,” it said.
The three gave an indication that they would subject themselves fully to the processes of enquiry.
The ACP has been dogged with a bribery allegation which began following a radio interview by Mr Ayariga, in which he alleged that the Minority Chief Whip and Deputy Ranking Member of the ACP, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka-Mubarak, had given each Minority MP on the committee GHc3,000.
He said following rumours that the money had been brought by the then Minister designate for Energy, Mr Boakye Agyarko, he confronted Alhaji Muntaka-Mubarak over the source of the money and Alhaji Muntaka-Mubarak told him that it was the Chairman of the ACP, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, who had given the money to him, with the explanation that it was from Mr Agyarko.
Mr Ayariga said following that revelation, he, together with his colleague Minority MPs, returned the money because initially they thought it was a sitting allowance.
But Mr Osei-Owusu, who is also the First Deputy Speaker, has denied taking any money from Mr Agyarko, while Alhaji Muntaka-Mubarak had also denied giving any money to Mr Ayariga, with the explanation that he took the money from Mr Osei-Owusu and that the money was from Mr Agyarko.
Mr Agyarko, for his part, has refuted the allegation that he had given money to members of the ACP and threatened legal action against Mr Ayariga.
The Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, told the Daily Graphic last Sunday that the leadership of Parliament had initiated action to establish the veracity or otherwise of the allegation, starting with a meeting with Mr Ayariga.
Committee Chairman welcomes investigations
Before the start of vetting yesterday, Mr Osei-Owusu had welcomed full investigations by the leadership of Parliament into the allegation of bribery.
He said such investigations were crucial to establish the facts of the matter and restore the integrity of the members of the committee in the eyes of Ghanaians.
“These are matters rightly and firmly in the hands of the leadership of Parliament and I believe strongly that appropriate investigations will be done, such that the integrity of the members of this committee will be restored,” he said.
Committee can’t be reconstituted
Mr Osei-Owusu said last Sunday he had been in discussion with the leadership of the House over whether, in view of the very ominous allegation of corruption and bribery against the committee, and in particular he as chairman, the committee should continue with the vetting.
He said two considerations were made, and indicated that he suggested that the vetting process should be suspended until investigations into the allegations had been brought to a close.
“After consultations, the leadership and I came to the conclusion that any such decision would stall government business, as the President needs his ministers to work with him.
“Then I further suggested that if possible this whole committee be reconstituted in order that the confidence that the Ghanaian public have in Parliament might not be shaken.
“Together we scanned through the Constitution and in particular the Standing Orders, and after our careful review, we realised that it was not practicable under our rules.
“It is, therefore, with a lot of pain that I have to sit here at this table again presiding over this meeting,” he said.
Mr Osei-Owusu said he knew that people were very cynical, and probably rightly so, looking at where some of the allegations were coming from.
“I understand why people may not trust us here again, but as much as possible I hope that tomorrow when Parliament resumes the leadership and the Speaker will take the appropriate steps to deal with this matter, so that Ghanaians will see the bottom of the matter,” he said.
Can’t bribe the committee
Mr Osei-Owusu, who is the MP for Bekwai, said the decision-making of the ACP had never been deferred on any day.
He said as soon as it finished proceedings, members sat to a take a decision on whether a nominee would be recommended for approval by consensus or by majority.
“This has never changed. I have been on this committee since 2009 and that has always been the case. If anybody wants to bribe us, then I suggest that he pays the bribe before we start because there is no room, after we have started proceedings, for you to influence our decisions,” he said.
Minority Leader supports investigations
The Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, said he would support a full-scale parliamentary enquiry to establish the veracity or otherwise of the allegation.
“I expect the Speaker of Parliament and the leadership will take up the matter and establish the truth or otherwise of what is being speculated around which is undermining the integrity of the work of this committee,” he said.
Inusah Fuseini speaks
In an interview with JOY?FM, the MP for Tamale Central, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, said he believed that Alhaji Muntaka-Mubarak was not candid with the issue.
He said indications he gathered from his meeting with Alhaji Muntaka-Mubarak were that the latter was mainly interested in protecting the integrity of Parliament.
(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)