A group of Tema East Constituency executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have stated that the public imputation of dishonestly receiving double salaries on Mr Alban Bagbin will end up a leap to nowhere.

“The cantankerous arrangement in which MPs who serve concurrently as Ministers have their emoluments determined at the end of their tenure, rather than during their tenure, is a questionable practice that obviously breeds confusion.

At a news conference in Accra, the executives said, Hon. Bagbin, who had since been invited to help the Police investigate the matter, will rather come out making history as someone who was helpful to an important reform process.

“It is obvious that the decision to impugn wrongdoing on Hon. Bagbin, along with other colleagues, was inspired by propaganda, but now that the issue has become public discourse, it will afford all of us the opportunity to straighten out things,” Stephen Ashitey Adjei, one of the speakers at the news conference said.

The man, who is affectionately called Moshake, said the allegation had been trumped up with the intent to humiliate Mr Bagbin, who is a Flagbearer hopeful of the NDC, but that in itself was a blessing in disguise.

“Hon. Bagbin’s huge reputation as an incorruptible man has helped many Ghanaians to see that the whole thing is propaganda indeed. Also, Hon. Bagbin’s vocal stance against corruption, irrespective of government, will be activated once more because of his involvement in this issue and will help lead a campaign for the current arrangement to be improved,” Moshake said.

He urged all Bagbin supporters across the country to remain calm saying, “this propaganda will be a leap to nowhere.”

Mr. Azeez Salau, another executive member of Tema East NDC who addressed the conference said the allegation had been cooked with Hon. Bagbin as a target, and that the other former appointees cited were only “guilty by association” and urged those behind the propaganda to take time and remind themselves of the pedigree of the man they were trying to soil.

“This is Hon. Bagbin, the man who came out to affirm that Parliament was corrupt even though he himself a Parliamentarian. This is the man who fearlessly confirmed that Parliament was corrupt at a time that all Parliamentarians were breathing smoke and fire and threatening to silence dissent on the issue.”

Mr Salau said “Bagbin who came out in Koforidua to expose his own colleagues, irrespective of political divide over corruption, is the same Bagbin that is now being painted as corrupt. “This is amazing especially when you consider the fact that it is the Controller and Accountant General who pays salaries and not Bagbin.

“Look, Ghanaians know better, and we know that Hon. Alban Bagbin is the most incorruptible Legislator ever. This attempt to smear him will not wash.”