Parliament set to begin probe on live telecast

pulse-ghana admin

January 9, 2018 4:58 AM

The Minority has alleged that the Trade Ministry of extorting up to $100,000 from expatriate business personalities in exchange for allowing them sit beside the President.

Parliament is set to begin a probe into circumstances that led to expatriates being charged $100,000 in order to seat beside President Akufu-Addo during an event late last year.

The public hearing is set to begin on Thursday, with the session also expected to be telecasted live.

A five-member ad-hoc committee has been set up by Parliament to look into the matter and to unravel the circumstances under which the Trade Ministry reportedly took monies from the expats.

The committee consists of two members of the Minority and three members of the Majority.

The men put on the committee include Ameyaw Kyeremeh (Chairman), Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, Mark Assibey Yeboah, James Klutse Avedzi, and Dominic Ayine.

This comes after an urgent motion was considered on the floor of Parliament last week, following pressure from the Minority that the issue be probed.

The Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak alleged earlier that the Trade Ministry took monies ranging between $25,000 and $100,000 from foreign businessmen during the recent Expatriate Business Awards in exchange for allowing them to sit closer to the president.

Deputy Trade minister Carlos Ahenkora admitted that the monies were taken from the expats but said the proceeds were later paid to the Millennium Excellence group, who were the organisers of the awards.

His explanation, however, were not convincing enough to many Ghanaians, with the Minority filing a motion for Parliament to begin a probe.

The issue is, however, now set to be publicly probed by Parliament, and Thursday’s hearing will be telecasted live.

pulse-ghana admin