The immediate past Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Prof Emmanuel Martey, is a corrupt cleric, Mr George Kofi Attah, MP for Wassa Amenfi Central, has said.

“I will sit here [Accra100.5FM] today and tomorrow and say that Prof Martey is one of the corrupt people in the state. He is one of the corrupt priests in the state, because a document that leaked today [Wednesday, 31 August], exposed him as having gone to a certain opposition leader for a car and money in 2013,” the lawmaker alleged on Political Capital hosted by Paa Kwesi Parker-Wilson on Accra FM.

His comments follow claims by the controversial clergyman that he rejected $100,000, a V8, and a mansion at Trassacco Valley which were offered to him by a political party in exchange for his silence.

“You cannot get me with corruption,” Prof Martey told journalists, adding: “Never ever should any politician or political activist go to a pastor or minister with money in order to influence him; if you do that you’ll be in trouble.”

Right after his comments, a former Public Relations Officer of the Presbyterian Church, Dr Osei Akyeampong contradicted him saying: “On July 28, 2013, around 8:15pm, he invited me to the office of one of the leading opposition parties, not the party of the government. When I got there he had received the $100,000 and a V8 he claimed to have rejected. And he gave me $50,000. I am speaking on authority that he received the money.”

However, the current PRO said the allegations levelled against Prof Martey by Dr Akyeampong were plain lies which the church would not waste its time fighting. “We are not prepared to engage him in any legal battle for defamation or [anything]… The Moderator has better things to do than that,” he said.

Despite the denials, however, the NDC legislator told Parker-Wilson: “Today, Prof Martey is saying he rejected those goodies. He should show us the date and place where he rejected the goodies. He should mention the people involved otherwise he is the most corrupt priest I have ever seen in this state. I’m daring Prof Martey that if he is a bold and strong man, then he should tell us on which day and at which time that this person and that person 'came to my house with this package and I rejected it'. And why is he now making it known?”

According to him, Prof Martey must decide to either be a politician or keep to his calling as a man of God.