[ 2017-02-16 ]

Invite me or I’ll sue – Ablakwa to Ghartey’s committee
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel
Okudzto Ablakwa has written to the chairman of the
five-member ad hoc committee probing the bribery
allegation that hit the Appointments Committee of
Parliament, requesting to appear as a witness.

Mr. Ablakwa’s request follows Wednesday’s
disclosure by the chairman of the Appointments
Committee, Joseph Osei Owusu during his testimony
before the five-member probing committee that Mr.
Ablakwa a member of the ‘vetting’ Committee
indicated that the minority made the bribery
allegation to equalize for corruption allegations
leveled against ex-president John Mahama.

“In the conclave, after they had shown that they
[Minority] were satisfied and were willing to
withdraw their objection and agree for their
report to be amended that Hon. Osafo Marfo and
Boakye Agyarko be passed by consensus, we were
going to leave and I said no, there was this
allegation already in the public domain, and
Honourable Ayariga is the one alleged to have made
that allegation so we should discuss that matter
after meeting, all the Minority members said was
‘Mr. Speaker cool down , cool down’ and I said
; ‘How can I cool down?

“This allegation is already in the public
domain’. It was at that point that Okudzeto
Ablakwa said ‘because Agyarko said our President
[Mahama] was corrupt, we were spreading the
corruption allegation’. The mood in the room
changed afterwards,” said the first deputy
speaker of parliament in his testimony.”

But the former deputy Education minister in a
swift response said Mr. Osei Owusu lied describing
the appointments committee chairman’s claim as
“malicious.”

Nonetheless, Mr. Ablakwa in a letter to Joe
Ghartey, the chairman of the ad hoc committee
authored by his attorneys said even though he was
aware the committee had “decided to limit the
number of witnesses to be called to give evidence
and that he has not been named as one of such
witnesses,” he believed it would be fair for him
to to invited us a witness to narrate his side of
the story.

The letter authored by Law Offices of Ayine and
Felli read in parts that: “our instructions are
that our client was served with a letter dated 4th
February, 2017 with reference number PG/SC/005 by
the Clerk to your Committee inviting him to attend
upon the Committee as a witness on a date and at a
time to be communicated to him.”

“Our client further instructs us that it has
come to his attention that your Committee has
decided to limit the number of witnesses to be
called to give evidence and that he has not been
named as one of such witnesses.

“However, in his testimony which was beamed live
on National television and which has been widely
reported in the national print media, the chairman
of the Appointments Committee and first deputy
speaker of parliament, Honourable Joseph Osei
Owusu, mentioned our client as having told him
that the bribery allegation was made up,” it
added.

The letter continued: “Since our client was not
given an opportunity to cross examine Hon. Joseph
Osei Owusu on this unsubstantiated piece of
evidence, it would surely be in accord with the
rules of natural justice that our client be heard
in his own defence before your Committee.”

The letter thus warned that Mr. Ablakwa would
resort to the law court if the Committee fails to
invite him.

Source - Starrfmonline.com.

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