By William
Yaw Owusu
Tuesday May
08, 2018
All the former ministers in the erstwhile John
Dramani Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) government who have been
caught in the double salary scandal knew about what they were taking monthly.
They are trying to water down the issue by claiming
that it was salary ‘top-up’ but it is emerging that most of them were taking
two different pay slips from different state institutions at the same time.
The monthly pay slips were coming from the Parliamentary
Service Board (PSB) and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department
(CAGD).
The reported double-salary issue, which the police say
amounts to stealing, was widespread and appeared to cut across all categories
of appointees who served under the former president.
Pleading
For Clemency
In the ensuing heat, some of the affected ex-ministers
are said to be begging a prominent traditional ruler in the country to
intercede for them after the Special Prosecutor, Martin A.B.K. Amidu, waded
into the scandal recently.
Mr Amidu gave his tacit support to the ongoing probe
by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
Growing
List
So far, 12 of the ex-ministers - majority of who are
currently serving as Members of Parliament (MPs), have been officially grilled
by the CID 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 former ministers and deputy ministers doubling
as MPs received double salaries at least once a month or throughout the
four-year tenure of the NDC.
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 the period.
Early
Detection
DAILY
GUIDE has learnt that while some of the former ministers
who drew salaries as MP and ministers of state detected the double salary
anomaly and notified the authorities for the right thing to be done.
It is not however clear if 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 that the
New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is witch-hunting them through the police,
are now admitting that the double salary really occurred.
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 (salaries).
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 as well as Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip Eric Opoku who is NDC MP for
Asunafo South and former Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister have also been to the
police.
Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, NDC MP for Tamale Central and
Minister of Roads and Highways; Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, a former Minister of
Transport and NDC MP for Ketu South; Abdul Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, a former
minister of state at the presidency and MP for Wa Central; and Aquinas Tawiah Quansah,
a former Central Regional Minister and former MP for Mfantseman West have all
been interrogated by the police over the scandal.
Three others including Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye
former Minister of Youth and Sports who doubles as current opposition 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, 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 newspaper if an apology was
not rendered.
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