The two leading members of the United Party (UP) who have petitioned five state institutions to investigate allegations of extortion levelled against Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin say the allegations must not be reduced to a political debate but should be subjected to an independent and credible investigation.
Speaking on the Gold Morning Conversation, Solomon Owusu, the Director of Communications of the United Party(UP), said the seriousness of the allegations required state institutions with investigative and oversight responsibilities to act immediately.
According to him, Parliament’s credibility has already come under pressure and cannot afford to harbour members facing serious allegations of wrongdoing.
“Remember, as we speak currently, there is a member of Parliament who is languishing behind bars in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. And so, Parliament as an institution, has already suffered some credibility crisis,” he said.
Mr. Owusu further argued that if investigations establish evidence of extortion against Mr. Afenyo-Markin, authorities should extend their scrutiny to his previous public service roles, particularly his tenure as Board Chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited.
“Remember, his tenure at Ghana Water Company saw massive losses and massive waste as he did in his time at the Electricity Company of Ghana,” he alleged.
He said the petition had been submitted to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, the Attorney-General and Parliament.
Mr. Owusu explained that involving multiple institutions was intended to prevent jurisdictional issues from frustrating the process.
“This time, we don’t want any investigation to curtail anywhere. So all these institutions must work together,” he said.
He also urged state institutions with constitutional and statutory oversight responsibilities to take a proactive approach to corruption allegations rather than waiting for citizens to formally petition them.
He maintained that a transparent investigation would help establish the facts, protect the integrity of Parliament and prevent allegations of corruption and extortion from becoming merely partisan political talking points.
Story By: Errah Salifu Razak
