The Minority in Parliament is demanding for a Presidential probe into the deportation of some Ghanaians at the ongoing Commonwealth games in Australia despite the announced suspensions by government.
The Deputy Sports Minister Pius Hadzide and the Director General of the National Sports Authority, Robert Sarfo Mensah were suspended by the President for their alleged roles in the scandal that saw the deportation of some 60 Ghanaians who posed as journalists to cover the games.
According to Australian authorities, they were not convinced by the reasons given by those so-called journalists for traveling to the country despite them having genuine visas.
Moments after his suspension, the Deputy Sports Minister welcomed the decision by the President adding that he knows nothing about the scandal or how the 60 people who faked their identities got visas to Australia for the games.
“After the investigations, they’ll realise that I know nothing about it and I’ll be exonerated,” Mr. Hadzide told Asempa FM’s Ekosii sen programme Thursday.
The President’s action against the two, according to the Minority is not an accurate reflection of the persons involved in the issue.
They want the President to set up a commission that will independently probe the issue to identify all personalities involved in the scandal which has dented Ghana’s image internationally.
“This is because we do not want the situation where it would appear that some one or two or three or few guys maybe targeted and then maybe given a raw deal under the situation,” the Minority’s Spokesperson on Sport and Culture Kwabena Mensah Woyome stated on Starr Today Thursday.
In his reaction however, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin said the presidency does not need to intervene because the scandal is being treated as a criminal one.
“For now, the matter is being treated as purely criminal matter that is why the CID is handling it. Attempting to enter a country under false pretense is certainly a criminal matter….so, that is why the Criminal Investigative Department of the Police service is handling the matter,” he said.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
