Ayariga Finally Cleared

Snippets of Information available to The Chronicle indicates that the deputy Minister designate for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mahama Ayariga, has been cleared of the charges which were brought against him and subsequently investigated by CHRAJ. The source said the committee at its sittings yesterday verified the authentication of the CHRAJ report from the original one and was convinced that the report presented by the nominee to the committee was real. The onus is now on the house to approve of his nomination. It would be recalled that, Parliament held onto the approval of the deputy Minister designate to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Appointments Committee in its report to the house said they needed more time to clarify some issues in relation to the nominee. The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Bonsu, who is also the ranking member of the Appointments Committee told The Chronicle in an interview at the time that the committee needed to interrogate some few issues. He said the perception out there is that the release of the report happened at a time to suit the vetting of the nominee; as such they needed to engage the commission not in a confrontational manner, but in a friendly way to understand their position on the report. He was of the view that even though the nominee gave a copy of the report t the committee, they needed to know whether that was a certified copy to the report and take it from there. The minority leader stated that regarding the procurement of the tractors, there are a few lingering questions they would have to pose to the Agric Ministry which the entire committee has to decide. He hinted that they have given themselves two weeks to determine what to do and come out with a report on the nomination of the former spokesperson of the president, Mahama Ayariga. According to him, the fact that CHRAJ has come out with findings to clear the nominee does not mean that there is no impropriety but as a committee they would have to investigate. �For all you know he might have profited without indulging himself.� He said they have no pleasure in underpinning him, even as a former member of the house.