The 5-member Parliamentary committee investigating the ‘cash-for-seat’ saga was unable to sit today because expatriate businessmen invited to give evidence before the committee refused to show up.
Starr News sources say the businessmen are requesting an in-camera sitting instead of the public one the committee has been having over the weeks.
The committee has so far heard evidence of some members of the minority who have alleged wrongdoing in the event as well as the trade ministry who insist there were no shady deals in the awards event.
On Monday, the committee took evidence from officials of the Millennium Excellence Awards led by it’s President Ashim Morton.
Spokesperson for the committee Yaw Buaben Asamoah told the media Tuesday they will consider the In-camera meeting request being asked by the expatriates.
“We have had to adjourn early today because of scheduling mishap. We were expecting the expatriate committee to appear before us today but it appears there have been some roadblocks and therefore the committee has had to adjourn today’s sitting to reengage the expected witnesses in the expatriate community. As soon as we have the road map, we will communicate it,” he said.
Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Aaron Oquaye set up the bi-partisan committee to probe claims that the Trade Ministry extorted as much as $100,000 from expatriates to allow them to sit close to the President at the recently held Ghana Expatriates Business Awards.
The committee whose sitting will be opened to the public was formed after an emergency recall of the House at the behest of the minority, who have insisted there was a wrongdoing on the side of the ministry .
Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5FM
