General News of Thursday, 30 August 2018

Source: Free Press

NDC MP crushed over $200K Ameri bribery claim

Member of Parliament for Damongo, Adams Mutawakilu Member of Parliament for Damongo, Adams Mutawakilu

New Patriotic Party’s Constituency Chairman for the New Juaben North, in the Eastern Region, Kojo Agyemang-Boateng has descended heavily on Member of Parliament for Damongo, Adams Mutawakilu, over claims that some faceless people had wanted to bribe him ( MP) with $200,000 to side with the signing of the controversial new Ameri deal.

The MP had earlier claimed on one of the local stations in Damongo, that because he was one of the known critics of the new power agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Africa and Middle East Resources Investment Group (AMERI), some people close to AMERI on few occasions had attempted to induce him with money and goodies in order to draw him near them.

“I rejected $200,000 bribe and other goodies on few occasions over the Mytilineous, AMERI deal because I had a reputation to protect,” Adams Mutawakilu said.

However, Chairman Kojo Agyemang-Boateng believes the MP’s revelations were calculated lies schemed to muddy waters.

According to him, the MP was just one of the usual liars of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), whose only trait was to peddle lies in serious issues.

"The Ameri deal was a serious matter, if he claims to love his reputation, and that’s if he has any, then why did he not expose those faceless people until now, why didn’t he mention names, bribery is a criminal offence, so why didn’t he even report to the police?" he quizzed.

In an interview with Free Press, the NPP firebrand who seemed peeved over the MP’s comments dared him (MP) to be serious with politics and come clear on the allegations.

"Ghanaians are serious people, gone are the days when you can get your way through with lies," he noted.

Meanwhile, many calls and text messages to the MP to open up on the allegations have proven futile.

Readers will recall from the president’s decision a week ago to relieve Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko of his post, with others linking it to negotiations of the new Ameri deal without clear briefings to the president.

Despite several speculations that the former Minister of Energy irked by his dismissal was going to sabotage the ruling party, he has assured the New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership and supporters of total support and loyalty to the party as it prepares towards retaining power in Elections 2020.

During a solidarity visit by a group of NPP Eastern Regional Executives and some party stalwarts at his residence at Krobo Odumase, last weekend, he admonished members who were seeking to defect from the party or cause mayhem through demonstrations to eschew such thoughts; “There is no alternative to the NPP as far as the progressive development of this country goes, we must stay within to deal with our differences; NPP is a big family working towards a common goal of transforming this country through creating prosperity and equal opportunity for all", he averred.