Former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei-Owusu has confessed that the Chief of Staff compensates members of the Appointments Committee after they vet nominations.
However, the former Bekwai MP claims it is not bribery.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, the former Chair of the Committee defended the practice, claiming that it was intended to help them do their jobs and had nothing to do with influencing choices.
“Yes, indeed. I told him (Manasseh Azure) that when I first joined the Appointments Committee, the Chief of Staff would usually present money to the committee members at the end of the day. “It’s like facilitating our work,” he said. “I wonder how anybody could link that to bribery?” he asked host Blessed Sogah.
Mr Osei-Owusu expressed anger with how easily allegations are flung around in Ghana without evidence.
“In our country, making allegations is the easiest thing to do. People frequently assert things and then fail to offer evidence when asked,” he remarked.
“In the case of 2017, which involved myself, it was extremely important for me that my reputation was vindicated.”
Referring to previous bribery claims, he described how Mahama Ayariga and other MPs accused him of bribery during the vetting of a cabinet nominee in 2017.
“After a long conference with the leadership, I decided to go to court because I was convinced that anything Ayariga and the others said had nothing to do with me.
“I’m not sure where it came from. Of course, when the committee was formed, they said it was the then-Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, who informed them—but Muntaka himself came and denied it.”
In response to claims based on journalist Manasseh Azure’s book, which stated that money is provided to MPs after vetting, Osei-Owusu insisted that the process is lawful.
“Someone forwarded that Facebook item to me. So I contacted Azure, sent a message, gave the information to him, and he called me. He responded, “If I had read the book, I would have noticed the difference.” “It’s unfortunate how we stretch facts and give explanations or interpretations that have nothing to do with reality.”
When asked if this constituted to influence peddling, he rejected the concept.
“This is after work. How can that benefit anyone? What causes a disadvantage for anyone? So it’s unfortunate how we may twist facts,” he said.
Former Auditor General Daniel Yaw Domelevo, who was also on the show, vehemently disagreed, calling the practice problematic and demanding that it be stopped immediately.
“It sounds very unfortunate for me to hear from my colleague Joe Wise say that the Chief of Staff used to bring them money after their work,” his comment went.
“Does this imply that Parliament falls within the Chief of Staff’s budget? Are they not given their own budget?
Mr Domelevo contended that such payments could jeopardise the integrity of Parliament’s work.
“I do not believe that is a good practice. If it happened, I believe it must cease. If we know that we will be paid after completing this task, it influences the work we do. “So there is influence peddling there,” he claimed. “If it is true, then I think that practice must stop.”
The discoveries have ignited heated debate about Parliament’s independence and whether financial incentives, regardless of time, can undermine the vetting process.
While Mr Osei-Owusu claims that these payments are innocuous facilitation, Domelevo and others contend that they erode parliamentary integrity and allow for improper influence.
