Government denies ordering fresh probe into Muntaka's $20,000 saga

Communication’s Director at the seat of government, Koku Anyidoho has categorically denied that President Mills ordered the Civil Service Council to commence fresh investigations into the $20,000 which Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka was alleged to have allocated to himself whiles in office.

Koku Anyidoho told Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah on the Super Morning Show Thursday morning that the Daily Guide's report that the President has ordered fresh investigations into the matter could not be true as no such order had been given by the President.

Daily Guide, in the Thursday, November 25, 2010 edition reported that it had gathered credible information from the government indicating that the President had ordered new investigations into Muntaka’s controversial $20,000 saga.

The report by Halifax Ansah-Addo said the paper’s “checks from the seat of government revealed that the Presidency has directed the Civil Service Council to set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the mystery surrounding the $20,000 taxpayer’s money and who should be held accountable for it, despite the fact that the issue had been investigated by the National Security, upon which Muntaka was sacked.”

Mr. Muntaka Mubarrak, the man at the centre of the controversy, in an interview on the same programme accused the Daily Guide of waging a mischievous campaign against his person since he resigned from the Sports Ministry.

Mr. Muntaka, who espoused his believe in press freedom, said he is very livid with the trend of reportage by the paper, stressing that “this level of mischief by Daily Guide must be stopped. Isn’t it unfortunate that Daily Guide, I don’t know for whatever reasons, have always tried as much as possible throughout this period to align and always put my name in bad reportage?”

Mr. Muntaka said the Daily Guide consistently draws his name into unnecessary controversies that occur in his constituency even when he is no where near it.

He however explained that the civil service council has constituted a panel to deal with the $20,000 case which he is alleged to have pocketed. He further confirmed that he has been invited along with other officials who were at the ministry during that period to participate in the hearing in order to bring closure to the controversy.

Story by Derick Romeo Adogla/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana