Regional News of Wednesday, 28 April 2021

Source: Richard Obeng Bediako, Contributor

Committee members take bribe before approving ministers - Kofi Akpaloo

Founder of the liberal party of Ghana, Mr. Kofi Akpaloo Founder of the liberal party of Ghana, Mr. Kofi Akpaloo

The Founder of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Mr. Kofi Akpaloo, has alleged that the collection of bribes is rife in Parliament.

According to him, some ministerial nominees pay their way at the appointments Committee before they are approved.

Speaking to Reynold Agyemang on ‘Pae Mu Ka’ on the Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7, he said that “Every appointee whether MCE, DCE or minister of state if that person has to be vetted or go through an endorsement process and refused to pay he can’t be approved.

“It has become an acceptable norm and can anybody in this country dispute that the recent minister did not pay money in Parliament; I am not afraid, would they tell me that the MPs did not take money from the minister?” he quizzed.

According to him, the practice has been existent since 1992 and has been narrowed to the local assemblies, where appointees for metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (MMDCEs) are compelled to pay bribes to assembly members for endorsement.

Mr. Kofi Akpaloo disclosed that every MP before going to the polls at the constituency level paid bribe to the party delegates for endorsement, hence the unrelenting position to clandestinely take bribe from government appointees for approval by the lawmakers.