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| Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader (L) and Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader (R) |
According to him, Haruna Iddrisu is afraid the matter may dent the reputation of Parliament if the criminal proceedings currently underway should continue.
“The Minority Leader has spoken to the president that some intervention must be done in order to save the image of Parliament,” he told Joy News’ Evans Mensah Tuesday.
When the Top Story host probed further about what Haruna Iddrisu wanted from the president, the Majority Leader said “Yes! I can confess to this.”
“Asked what exactly” Evans threw in the follow-up question to Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu to which he answered; “that these things will dent and further inflate the mortal wound on Parliament.”
Citing the corporate embarrassment Ghana’s Parliament suffered when one of its MPs, Eric Amoateng was arrested for drug-related offences, the Majority Leader said they had wanted to handle the matter on the quiet but some members of the Minority breached faith by going public with witch-hunting accusations.
“I am not involved but I must admit as a Member of Parliament if a colleague is involved in something it affects all of us. Remember when one person went and dealt in drugs, the whole of the then-Majority group, including the Parliament of Ghana was roped into it. If it affects an MP it affects the integrity of all us. That is why we are trying a good way out of it,” he revealed.
The CID in a letter to each one of the suspects they have received salaries as MPs and Ministers while serving under the erstwhile John Mahama administration, a charge the CID says was tantamount to stealing. But the suspects have vehemently denied.
They are to cooperate with investigations. At least three of the suspects on Tuesday visited the police CID to assist with investigations.
Prior to their appearance before Parliament, the Minority held a press conference accusing the government of witch hunting.
While some of them admitted to receiving some overpayments they flatly denied it was a case of double salary receipt.
Haruna Iddrisu in an earlier interview with Joy News blamed the matter on systemic failure. But according to the Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu the matter is far more serious than merely being overpaid or underpaid as a minister or MP
According to him, some of the ex-government officials who doubled as MPs and Ministers admitted to collecting double salaries.
He would not publicly mention the names of the persons who allegedly made that confession except to show his frustration with the sudden attempt by the same persons to feign ignorance and wage witch-hunting crusades.
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