By William
Yaw Owusu
Wednesday
May 02, 2018
The list of former
ministers in the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government - headed
by John Dramani Mahama who have been caught in the double salary scandal - continues
to swell.
It is obvious that
the alleged double-salary issue, which the police have said amounts to stealing,
was widespread and appeared to cut across all categories of appointees who
served under the former president.
So far, 12 of the
ex-ministers, majority of who are currently serving as Members of Parliament
(MPs), have been officially grilled by the Criminal Investigations Department
(CID) of the Ghana Police Service, and DAILY GUIDE is reliably informed
that there are more names coming.
Payroll Audit
The whole scandal
was triggered following an audit of the payroll data from the office of the president
and parliament from 2012 through 2016.
It showed that certain
MPs, who at various points also served as ministers or deputy ministers,
received double salaries at least once a month or throughout the four-year
tenure of President Mahama.
In all, over 40 of
such appointees are said to be involved, although earlier reports had suggested that 25 were being investigated.
The
breakdown indicated that in
2012, four of the ministers who are currently not serving in parliament, took
double salaries, but by 2013 the double salaried appointees had increased to 22,
while in 2014 about 18 were said to be involved.
For 2015 and 2016,
15 and 12 appointees took double salaries respectively.
From 2012 to 2016
when the NDC was booted out of office, some of the appointees were captured in
all the data collated as having received double salaries throughout.
Early Detection
DAILY GUIDE has learnt that some of the former ministers who drew salaries as
MPs and ministers of state detected the double salary anomaly and notified the
authorities for the right thing to be done.
It is however unclear
whether the payments that had already been credited to the accounts of such
people were returned to government chest.
Top-Up Alibi
Some NDC elements
after cynically claiming the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is witch-hunting
them through the police, are now admitting that, indeed, the double salary saga
is true.
However, they are
now pushing the argument that it was a ‘top-up’ for the affected ministers and
not the actual monthly salaries as being claimed by their political opponents.
Bernard Allotey
Jacobs, NDC Central Regional Chairman, conceded at some point that some of the
ex-ministers, who were MPs, actually received double salaries and said they were
ready to use their ex-gratia to offset them.
Tall List
So far, Emmanuel
Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle and former Minister of Energy and Petroleum;
Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, MP for Kpone Katamanso, who was the former Greater
Accra Regional Minister, as well as former Minister of State in-charge of
Social and Allied Institutions, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe Ghansah, who is NDC MP for
Ada East, have been interrogated by the CID.
Also, a certain
Bashir Fuseini Alhassan, who is believed to be ABA Fuseini, NDC MP for
Sagnerigu and former Deputy Minister, Northern Region, was also there to write
a statement before being admitted to bail.
Second deputy
minority chief whip, Eric Opoku who is NDC MP for Asunafo South and former Brong-Ahafo
Regional Minister, has also been to the CID.
Alhaji Inusah
Fuseini, NDC MP for Tamale Central and former Minister of Roads and Highways; Fifi
Fiavi Kwetey, former Minister of Transport and NDC MP for Ketu South; Abdul
Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, former Minister of State at the presidency and MP for Wa
Central and Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Ex-Central Regional Minister and former MP
for Mfantseman West, have all been interrogated by the police over the scandal.
Three others - Edwin
Nii Lante Vanderpuye, former Minister of Youth and Sports, who doubles as
current NDC MP for Odododiodioo and Alhassan Azong, former Minister of State in-charge
of Public Sector Reforms and former People's National Convention MP for Builsa
South Constituency, as well as Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, who served as
Deputy Attorney General under President John Mahama, were also at the CID headquarters
for interrogation.
When the scandal
broke, Nii Lante Vanderpuye told Hot FM and Citi FM, among others, that he had not
been invited by the police, claiming that DAILY GUIDE was defaming him.
He threatened to sue
the paper if an apology was not rendered.
But yesterday the
paper learnt that he was at the CID headquarters and granted police enquiry
bail.
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 who might be found liable.
Mr. Amidu, a former
Attorney General and Minister of Justice in the NDC administration, said on Citi FM last Thursday that if his former
colleagues are found to have fallen foul of 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 during the NDC governments.
He stated that he
returned the excess money to the government.
All the affected ex-ministers were reportedly charged with stealing
and are to reappear before the CID in May.
They have been appearing before the police with their lawyers
and are all on bail.
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