OccupyGhana petitions OSP to probe allegations of bribery of MPs by bussinessman
Pressure group, OccupyGhana, has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor(OSP) to investigate allegations of a wealthy businessman attempting to bribe members of the Majority Caucus.
This comes after the Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensh-Bonsu, stated that a renowned businessman tried to influence the decision of the Majority Caucus over their demand for Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s removal.
The Member of Parliament for Asante Akim Central, Andy Appiah-Kubi, who is the spokesperson of the MPs, said the unnamed wealthy businessman offered a ‘fat’ envelope which contained some undisclosed amount of money for the MPs to back off from their demand.
However, none of the MPs disclosed the identity of the said businessman.
OccupyGhana believes that the alleged attempt to bribe the Members of Parliament(MPs) is a corruption offence that needs to be probed by the OSP.
In a letter addressed to the OSP, OccupyGhana said, “We have followed media reports from interviews by Joy FM with Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu (MP, Suame, Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs) and Andy Appiah-Kubi (MP, Asante Akim North), which have been widely circulated by other media portals.”
“In these interviews, the MPs alleged that an unnamed, wealthy businessman had attempted to bribe them. That would be an attempt to influence the conduct of MPs in the course of their official duties, a potential corruption offence that falls within the remit of your office,” the letter added.
They further urged the OSP to thoroughly investigate the claims and prosecute the offenders if they are true.
“We will be available to assist with this request should there be any assistance from your end,” they added.
Below is the letter from the group
Meanwhile, the Majority Leader told journalists on Thursday, November 3, 2022, that parliament will launch an investigation into the claims.
He added that the claims could be untrue; hence, a thorough probe is necessary to reveal all the facts about the matter.
“With particular reference to the attempted bribery, it’s come before me. We’ll investigate if it is true and, if it is true, establish the motive of that person. Sometimes, these things come up,” he noted.