The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Ocquaye has finally given his ruling on the Parliamentary bribery saga.
Giving his ruling in Parliament on Friday evening, the Speaker asked Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament for Bawku Central to 'go and sin no more'.
"If anyone, MP or non-MP takes a bribe involving MPs, it will impede our work. If someone falsely accuses a member in that direction, it will impede our work…in all the circumstances of this case, I have come to the conclusion that the honourable Ayariga should be shown the quality of mercy on this occasion; go and sin no more” the Speaker ruled.
Hon. Mike Ocquaye however warned the Bawku Central MP “never to peddle such expensive rumours anymore in his affairs in this house….Honourable Ayariga, if this should be repeated in future after today’s ruling, you will have yourself to blame..."
Background
Mahama Ayariga was found guilty of contempt by an adhoc committee chaired by Hon Joe Ghartey after he alleged that the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko bribed members of the Minority on the Appointment Committee to approve his nomination.
According to him they had received an amount of Ȼ3,000 from Muntaka Mubarak which they initially thought was their sitting allowance but turned out to be bribe given by Hon Joe Osei-Owusu; Chairman of the appointment committee on behalf of the Energy Minister nominee at the time.
The Energy Minister denied giving any money to Joe Osei-Owusu who subsequently threatened to go to court.
Muntaka Mubarak on the otherhand also denied taking or receiving any money.
Mahama Ayariga, however, insisted on receiving the bribe.
The Speaker of Parliament then formed the Joe-Ghartey Committee to investigate the matter.
The committee after almost two months of sitting found Hon Ayariga guilty of contempt because he did not give any evidence for the accusation he made and asked him to render an unqualified apology.
Going to court
The Speaker during his ruling on Friday, also denied Hon Joe Osei-Owusu’s permission to take the issue to court.
According to him, “…the first deputy speaker should be constrained for going to court for whatever another honourable member says in the course of our business here. He cannot go to court; infact the permission he sought cannot be granted. But he can come to the court of parliament. Parliament has the full right and duty to investigate the matter to punish who so ever should be punished in such a case but within parliament”
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Please understand that a lot of talks and pleading have gone behind close doors from both senior members of both sides and even some outsiders that is why the speaker gave that friendly ruling. The speaker was furious and was going to kick Ayariga out of parliament and we have by-election at his constituency.
Koopia I can't agree with you more, but for Ghana its not worth to sacrifice for. Leaders ore all STOOGIES, can you imagine if it was an ordinary person who made this statement. Someone steals Government money and he/she is exonerated with clauses. A hungry person steals cassava/plantain for his/her hunger a jail sentence is slapped on him/her. Even former presidents in some countries are in jail. ***barred word***.
THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. THEY ARE FULL F COMPROMISE AND CONNIVING.
This is what they are going to tell those who have misused our tax payers money .The begining of bad governance.
Take out the Agbogbloshie matter and couldn't agree more with you. I think I'm going to do same, boycott voting in Ghana. There all the same.
How can the speaker give such a ruling. I will never vote in any elections in Ghana all of you MPs are bunch of id1ots. Scratch my back and i scratch your back business is what you are practising in Parliament. If Ghana was a any serious country this Ayariga guy would have been suspended the very day he made that allegation and all he had as a punishment was to go and sin no more. Im really disappointed in this NPP mojority in parliament and for that matter the speaker. You will never get my vote anymore. You were making all this cacophony of noises in opposition, when its time for you to act in government you are found wanting. Im so so disgusted by Ghanaian politicians they are all the same. I cant wait for the day the NDC come back to power and teach you how to use political power like they did to you at Agbogbloshi in 2009