It has emerged that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has crashed one of the three Land Cruiser V8 vehicles he allegedly imported into the country through corrupt means.

Although the cause of the accident and level of damage to vehicle have not been confirmed, DAILY GUIDE learnt that the accident vehicle is currently in the custody of the Kasoa Police in the Central Region.

Mahama Ayariga is alleged to have imported a number of expensive vehicles into the country without paying the appropriate taxes on them leading to investigations over the possibility of causing financial loss to the state.

The three vehicles, all Toyota Land Cruiser V8s, are said to be the subject of ongoing investigations into how the MP used a Parliamentary Resolution dated 7th April, 2017 to import the cars into the country.

Preliminary investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, headed by Martin Amidu, indicate that Ayariga made “the importation into Ghana through corrupt means and corruption-related activities of three used white Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles by using a Parliamentary Resolution dated 7th April 2017 contracting a facility of $22,500,000 between the Parliamentary Service and the Societe Generale Bank, Ghana, which was for the purchase of one brand new official vehicle for each of the 275 Members of Parliament.”

Exhibits

Already, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), has confiscated two of the vehicles, which are the subject of investigation by the anti graft body.

The anti graft body has, however, indicated that although the two cars belonging to the NDC MP are in its custody, the vehicles were not seized but are being used as exhibits in the ongoing investigations.

According to EOCO, two of the three V8s are in their exhibit garage, adding that the third one was recently involved in an accident and is in the custody of the Kasoa Police.

It added that no seizure notice had been issued for the vehicles to be seized.

Begging

Mahama Ayariga is currently on the radar of the Special Prosecutor after he became the subject of investigations in connection with the importation of the three vehicles.

It has emerged that the NDC MP is falling on influential individuals to persuade Mr. Amidu to drop the criminal investigations against him.

“When the suspect, Honourable Mahama Ayariga, received his copy of my letter to the Speaker, he immediately started to get people who he perceived could put pressure on me, such as personal friends, former colleagues, chiefs, men of God, etc. to abate the investigation being conducted in the performance of my functions under Acts 959 and Act 804,” Mr Amidu noted.

He further added that despite cautions through EOCO to Mahama Ayariga to refrain from trying to obstruct investigations, Ayariga persisted with getting people close to him (Amidu) to get the inquiry abated.

Mr Amidu said on August 3, 2018, he officially reported the matter to EOCO and asked it to investigate the complaint of obstruction by Mahama Ayariga to the investigation.

“I asked the EOCO on a number of occasions to warn the suspect to desist from his conduct of obstructing the investigation by soliciting others to put pressure on me to abate same to no avail. “I have accordingly, on 3rd August 2018, requested the EOCO to investigate my complaint against the suspect for obstructing me, the Special Prosecutor, in the performance of the functions of my office as the Special Prosecutor,” the statement said.