The Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, has strenuously denied ever bribing members of the Appointments Committee of Parliament to lure them into confirming his nomination, stating that he had “no need or motive” to bribe the committee.
The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central and a Member of the Appointments Committee, Mahama Ayariga accused Energy minister, Boakye Agyarko of attempting to bribe the minority members of the committee, to clear him following his edgy vetting.
According to him, the supposed bribery attempt was made through the chairman of the committee, Joseph Osei Owusu, which was given to the minority caucus by its chief whip, Muntaka Mubarak.
Following the damning nature of the allegation, the speaker of Parliament, Mike Oquaye, composed a special five-member ad hoc committee chaired by Joe Ghartey to probe it.
Appearing before the committee to give his testimony, Mr. Agyarko said when the allegation was made, he was of the view that it was “outlandish” and that it would flatly fall on its face—unfortunately it did not.
He said it was not his thinking that he was going to be disapproved.
“I did not get any sense whatsoever that I was not going to qualify. I just took that for whatever the reasons, I was not part of the first batch to be sworn in,” he said.
Reacting to a question from the committee on whether he attempted bribing the members of the committee, he said: “I felt incredulous about the matter [allegation] and all I said was that without the fear of contradiction, I had done no such thing—would do no such thing because I had no need, no motive to do such any thing.”
