Probe NLA 'bribery' - Vitus Azeem

A former Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Vitus Azeem, has called for further investigations into claims by the National Lottery Authority (NLA) that it sponsored the Finance Committee of Parliament to deliberate on the amendment of the National Lottery Act, 2006 (Act 722).

This follows an admission by a former Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, that his committee received money from officials of the NLA prior to deliberations on the amendment of the Lottery Act.

Mr Avedzi is reported to have said that the NLA first presented GHS50,000 to the committee "but when we looked at the provisions, we realised that the amount was not sufficient so they promised to bring another 50,000 cedis".

Speaking on the matter in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom, on Accra100.5FM on Thursday June 29, Mr Azeem said: “Whether it will have an impact on the work of parliament or not, it is wrong if it was aimed at influencing parliament to pass a certain law that will favour the institution which is a state institution.

“It depends on the volume and what the purpose of the money was. If, for example, you decided to take them to Koforidua and you are paying for their transport, you are accommodating and feeding them and giving them some allowance, they call it per diem. That may be acceptable, but if the amount of money is more than what was needed to cover that, then that is where the worry comes.

“This matter calls for further investigations.”