Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, has denied allegations that members of the Committee demand bribes from ministerial nominees before approving their nominations.
Mr Ahiafor, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, described the allegations as “baseless and unfounded” and emphasized the integrity and professionalism of the Committee.
The allegations were made by Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, an activist, who claimed that the Committee solicits bribes from nominees in exchange for their approval.
Mr Ahiafor, in response to the allegations, said: “I am ever ready to submit myself to the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Committee for questioning… I, Bernard Ahiafor, as the Chairman of the Committee, want to place it on record that I and the Committee members do not demand money from any nominees before vetting and approval.”
He also instructed the Clerk of the Committee to formally invite Mr Barker-Vormawor to appear before the Committee to provide evidence to substantiate his claims, warning that failure to do so would result in legal action.
Some members of the minority National Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Committee have called for the suspension of the vetting process until Mr Barker-Vormawor appears before the Committee to clarify the allegations.
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