Presidential spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga says calls for former Sports Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, to be prosecuted are misplaced.
Mr. Ayariga said those urging prosecution have no legal basis to back their arguments.
Government has been criticised by a section of the public for absolving the former minister of any wrongdoing in corruption allegations made against him.
Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Atta Akyea is the latest to join in criticising government for using the Bureau for National Investigations (BNI) instead of the police to investigate Alhaji Muntaka.
The BNI investigations that cleared the former minister also found him guilty of misrepresentation.
According to the BNI report, Alhaji Muntaka acquired a visa for his alleged girlfriend Edith Zinayela by falsely presenting her to embassy officials as an executive administrative officer of the Sports Ministry.
She travelled with the minister to Germany at the expense of the state.
This, according to critics is a clear case of fraud for which the Asawasi MP should be prosecuted.
Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Lawyer Atta Akyea insisted the investigations were not meant to do justice to the allegations.
In a quick response, however, the former minister who has offered to refund monies spent on Zinayela during his trip to Germany, told Joy News he personally did not deal with documentations on his trips including the acquisition of visas.
Meanwhile anti-corruption campaigner Daniel Batidam wants government to demonstrate serious commitment to fighting corruption by allowing the appropriate state agencies to investigate ministers and public officials accused of wrongdoing.
There is also concern about the interdiction of the Principal Accountant at the Ministry, Adim Odoom who many consider the whistle blower in the Muntaka case.
Mr Odoom and the Chief Director of the ministry were recommended for sanctions by the Head of Civil Service for their roles in the scandal.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
4 comments:
What do you expect Ayariga to do when he himself has been accused of acquiring 5 tractors using fraudulent means? Definitely Ayariga would have to defend Muntaka in order to deflate attention from corruption allegations leveled against himself. We all know what they said during the campaign. Now they are in power and they are behaving more than those they accused. President Mills must sit up before the whole nation becomes rotten.
I cannot believe the NDC IS ACTING LIKE THIS. THEY ACCUSED KUFFOUR'S GOVERNMENT OF CORRUPTION AND THEY ARE EVEN WORSE. WE ARE WATCHING EVERYTHING BIT OF INFORMATION REGARDING CORRUPTION IN THE NDC AND WE SHALL SURELY ADVICE OURSELVES IF WE ARE TO VOTE TOMORROW.
Why wouldnt he call it misplaced if you have been accused of corruption will chastise your friend in arms? Greedy fools. We shall see what will happen in 2012.
There is every indication that Mutaka used his office for personal gain travelling with his girl friend at the expense of the nation and buying food to feed his family and then asking the nation to foot the bill. He deserves to stand trial in a court of law.
The President should not just accept his resignation he should put him before court because what he did is nothing more that cheating the nation which amounted corruption which is is a criminal offence.
Edith Zineyela should be invited to explain how she went to Germany at the nation's expense and if possible should be prosecuted for the crime she and Muntaka committed. We must fight corruption at every level of government and there should not be any cover up for Muntaka. Besides I do not see why he should remain MP when his integrity is the on the line. By continuing as MP it is sending wrong signal that you can become a corrupt as minister and resign and then keep your seat as an MP.
WE SHOULD NOT SEND THIS WRONG SIGNAL. THE NDC campaigned on making the fight against corruption a cornerstone and we are waiting to see if it will be just cover ups or prosecutions.
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