Joseph Osei-Owusu Admits Akufo-Addo Chief Of Staff Gave Appointments Committee Cash After Vettings
- A former Appointments Committee chairman has claimed its members received money from the Akufo-Addo administration Chief of Staff
- However, Joseph Osei-Owusu argued that the money received by the committee's members should not be considered a bribe
- The former chairman explained that such payments were made to facilitate their work and had nothing to do with influencing decisions
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Former chairman of the Appointments Committee Joseph Osei-Owusu has admitted that its members received money from the Chief of Staff after vetting nominees during the Akufo-Addo administration.
Speaking to Joy News, Osei-Owusu insisted, however, that the money received was not part of a bribe, amid recent accusations coming from activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor.
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He believes such payments were made to facilitate their work and had nothing to do with influencing decisions.
“Yes, indeed. I told him [Manasseh Azure] that when I joined the Appointments Committee, most of the time, at the close of our work, the Chief of Staff would bring money to the members of the committee. It’s like facilitating our work."
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Journalist Manasseh Azure also outlined this arrangement in his 2024 book about Nana Akufo-Addo, The President Ghana Never Got.
When pressed on whether this amounted to influence peddling, Osei-Owusu also refuted such sentiments.
“This is after the work. How can that bring an advantage to anybody? What gives a disadvantage to anybody? So it’s a pity how we can stretch facts."
Allegations against Appointments Committee
Barker-Vormawor was summoned by the Appointments Committee after claiming on social media that ministerial nominees were making payments for their approval during the ongoing vetting of President John Mahama's ministers-nominee.
"So all the monies the ministerial appointees are being asked to pay to the Appointments Committee just to get approved, are those ones not affected by ORAL? Strange Republic.”
The appointments committee has been rocked by similar allegations in the past.
In 2017, Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga claimed a ministerial nominee for Energy and Petroleum, Boakye Agyarko, attempted to bribe members of the minority on the Appointments Committee, to facilitate his recommendation for approval.
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Oliver Barker-Vormawor apologises to Parliament’s Appointments Committee after bribery accusation
At the time, Osei-Owusu, who was accused of being the courier for the bribe money, said the allegations brought against Agyarko were fabricated.
The allegations were dismissed by an ad-hoc parliament committee chaired by Joe Ghartey, which investigated the claims. Ayariga was also compelled to apologise.
Barker-Vormawor apologises to Appointments Committee
YEN.com.gh also previously reported that Barker-Vormawor apologised to the Appointments Committee after the claims he made about its members.
Appearing on January 29 after a summons over the matter, the outspoken activist also noted that he did not intend to disparage members of the committee.
He also explained that the post carried a double meaning and should not be interpreted as a direct indictment of the Committee’s work or integrity.
Instead, Barker-Vormawor claimed that it was simply an attempt to blow the whistle and shed light on unethical practices within Ghana’s political landscape.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh