By William
Yaw Owusu
Monday April
23, 2018
The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban
Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, is expected to appear before the Criminal
Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service today.
The invitation to the place is in connection with
the ongoing probe into the double salary scandal that has rocked the opposition
National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Some of the ministers
and deputy ministers, who served under then President John Dramani Mahama and
his NDC government (2012- 2016), are being investigated by the police for
allegedly collecting double salaries, some for about a four years, and Mr
Bagbin’s name features prominently.
Mr Bagbin, NDC MP for Nadowli Kaleo in the Upper
West Region and former minister, according to sources, has been booked by the
police for interrogation today; and he is expected to be at the CID headquarters
with his legal team.
Top-Up
Alibi
Some NDC elements, after cynically claiming that the
New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is witch-hunting them, are now admitting
that, indeed, the double salary payment happened.
However, they are now pushing the argument that the
payments were ‘top-ups’ for the affected ministers and not the actual monthly
salaries as being claimed by their political opponents.
It emerged that some of those who were MPs and were
appointed as ministers at the same time by President Mahama were supposed to
take one salary for the double job, but they allegedly drew salaries as MPs and
again as ministers every month in clear breach of the law.
Insiders
Accused
Already, Mr Bagbin appears to be pointing accusing
fingers at elements in his own party for leaking the double salary information
to the public.
Official
Charge
According to the police, the alleged double salaries
saga “is contrary to Section 124 (1) of the Criminal and other Offences Act
1960 (Act 29), as amended in 2012 (Act 849).
Section 124 relates to the offence of stealing.”
Dramatic
Twist
The scandal took a dramatic twist when the Special
Prosecutor, Martin A.B.K. Amidu, waded into the debate and appeared to give
tacit endorsement of the move by the police to prosecute the former appointees and
MPs who might be involved.
Mr. Amidu, a former Attorney General and Minister of
Justice, said on Citi FM last Thursday that if his former colleagues were found
to have violated the law, they should not go unpunished.
“Indeed, that (double salary) is an offence of abuse
of office for private gain,” he said without mincing words, before revealing
that he also received double payments when he served as minister under the NDC administrations
but added that he returned the excess money to the government.
Police
Invitation
The double salaries scandal appears to have rattled
the opposition NDC which MPs - some past and present - have been visiting the
police to assist in investigations over their respective involvements in the saga.
Last Wednesday, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, former Minister
of Transport and MP for Ketu South; Abdul Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, former minister
of state at the presidency and MP for Wa Central and Aquinas Tawiah Quansah,
former Central Regional Minister and former MP for Mfantseman West, were
interrogated by the police over the scandal.
Bail
Before then, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for
Ellembelle and former Minister of Energy and Petroleum and Nii Laryea Afotey
Agbo, MP for Kpone Katamanso, who was the former Greater Accra Regional
Minister, had also been interrogated by the police and granted self enquiry
bail.
Also, a certain Bashir Fuseini Alhassan - who is
believed to be ABA Fuseini - NDC MP for Sagnerigu and former deputy minister
for the Northern Region, had also been engaged by the police and was made to
write a statement before being admitted to bail.
On Tuesday, three former appointees under President
Mahama - minister of state in-charge of Social and Allied Institutions, Comfort
Doyoe Cudjoe Ghansah, MP for Ada East; Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Eric
Opoku, MP for Asunafo South and Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister and Alhaji Inusah
Fuseini, MP for Tamale Central and Minister of Roads and Highways - were also
grilled.
They were all
reportedly charged with stealing and are to reappear before the CID in May.
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