‘I don’t trust OSP’ to probe GH¢70k ‘bribe’ allegation – Kwasi Kwarteng

Questions have emerged regarding the reliability of the investigation into a potential GH¢70,000 payment related to the parliamentary vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees. Calls have been made for other state agencies to conduct an independent examination of the incident. The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has already launched preliminary inquiries to ascertain whether the alleged payment occurred, its origin, and the events leading up to it.

The dispute originated from a purported memorandum allegedly authored by Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP Patricia Appiagyei, which alleged that she had returned GH¢70,000 purportedly provided by the Majority Chief Whip for the vetting process. Mrs. Appiagyei has denied the bribery accusations, stating that the supposed memo is false.

Nevertheless, these contentious claims have prompted demands for a comprehensive investigation into the matter to ascertain whether any funds were exchanged, who might have been involved, the purpose of the payment, and whether any parliamentary regulations or laws were violated. During an interview on Channel One TV on September 5, NPP Communications Team member Kwasi Kwarteng expressed doubts about the OSP's capacity to impartially uncover the truth.

"No, I don't trust OSP. The current office, in its present form and state, lacks the confidence I would like to see," he stated. Despite his skepticism, Kwarteng emphasized that the allegations must not remain unaddressed and advocated for a wider investigation. "The most crucial aspect is that there should be an investigation to uncover the truth of this matter.

Even if the OSP is probing, there should also be other entities to investigate the same," he urged, urging Ghanaians to demand a credible probe into the controversy.