Fixing The Country Movement has called on the Attorney General take action against past and present lawmakers who allegedly took double salaries during the tenure of former President John Mahama.
According to the group, the seeming refusal by the state to take action against the individuals who are alleged to have breached the law will encourage others to follow suit.
“We are aware of an audit report of the payroll data that revealed that many Ministers, who served under former President John Mahama, took double salaries for four years, while others received double salaries for two and three years.
“From 2012 to 2016 when the NDC was in office, some of the appointees were captured in all the data collated as having received double salaries.
“The former Tamale Central MP, Inusah Fuseini; Ada MP, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah and former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Eric Opoku were among those captured by the data,” the group said in a statement Thursday.
The statement added: ”
Criminal misdemeanour should be accorded the seriousness it deserves by allowing the criminal justice system to interpret and assess its social impact and apportion punishment as prescribed by law. Which is why this petition needs to be treated with utmost urgency and seriousness.
“The impression of impunity may encourage others to take the same route and it may ultimately lead to the destruction of the fabric of the State”.
The statement said it is unfair to Ghanaians if laws are applied in a discriminatory manner.
Below are details of the statement
09/12/2021
The Fixing The Country Movement takes serious offense to the inertia that has characterized the investigations and prosecution of the beneficiaries of the double salary saga.
It emerged in 2018, that some MPs who served as Ministers in the Mahama administration allegedly received double salaries.
We are aware of an audit report of the payroll data that revealed that many Ministers, who served under former President John Mahama, took double salaries for four years, while others received double salaries for two and three years.
From 2012 to 2016 when the NDC was in office, some of the appointees were captured in all the data collated as having received double salaries.
The former Tamale Central MP, Inusah Fuseini; Ada MP, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah and former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Eric Opoku were among those captured by the data.
We have read a police report on the matter that said the alleged action by the MPs “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”.
It has been over 4 years and we’ve still not seen any action taken by the Attorney General and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to bring finality to the matter.
We’re livid over the inactions of the law enforcement agencies to ensure that the full might of the law is brought to bear on the culprits. Crime must never be overlooked no matter the persons involved.
In that regards, we request the immediate intervention of law enforcement to ensure a criminal investigation process is activated in a prompt and impartial manner just so the beneficiaries of the double salary saga can face the consequences of their criminal action.
Criminal misdemeanour should be accorded the seriousness it deserves by allowing the criminal justice system to interpret and assess its social impact and apportion punishment as prescribed by law. Which is why this petition needs to be treated with utmost urgency and seriousness.
The impression of impunity may encourage others to take the same route and it may ultimately lead to the destruction of the fabric of the State.
Signed:
Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah
Convener(FIXING THE COUNTRY MOVEMENT) political strategist
Jennifer Oforiwaa Queen ( comm director)
