Second Deputy Minority Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has dismissed reports alleging that the Deputy Minority leader, Patricia Appiagyei has returned a GH¢70,000 “gift” given to her and other members of the Appointments Committee in relation to the recent vetting of some Ministerial nominees and Supreme Court Justices nominees.
According to him, there is “no truth whatsoever” in the allegation which is being contained in a purported memo addressed to the Minority Chief Whip.
Speaking exclusive to TV3 on NewsCentral, he said he had spoken directly with the Deputy Minority Leader, who is upset by the claims and has no idea the basis for the information circulating.
“There is no truth whatsoever in that story. I have spoken particularly to my Deputy Minority Leader who has been very upset with the seeming whatever is going round. She doesn’t even understand it and she is very upset,” Jerry Ahmed Shaib said on Friday, September 4.
He urged the public to disregard the information being circulated.
“She thinks that we should be careful how some of these things are generated,” he added.
The Weija-Gbawe MP stressed that the Minority Leader has not received any money to influence the vetting of the ministerial nominees.
“So, I can tell you on authority that I have not dealt with anyone, she has not dealt with anyone, I do not know who is dealing with this and where this is coming from.
“She had not received any money from anyone and she does not know where this is coming from with a certain signature of hers,” he remarked.
Shaib’s comments come amid reports alleging that members of the Appointments Committee had received GH¢70,000 each as a gift.
In the purported memo, her reason for returning the said cash is that she does not know the source of the money.
“It is with regret that I return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) allocated to me as an advance of money from the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament of Ghana. I am returning the money on the basis of the fact that, primarily, I do not know the source of the money being given to me,” The Deputy Minority Leader stated in a Memo dated September 2, sighted by 3news.
In the Memo addressed to the Minority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam/ Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, she explained further, “My first reason is the fact that I do not want to enjoy any financial benefit under any circumstances to vet our own colleagues in leadership from the other side being either Hon. Mahama Ayariga or Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.”
“Secondly, due to the Minority’s protest and non-participation of the vetting of the three Judges namely; Justice Sophia Rosetta Oduokuwa Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and Justice Anthony Forson Jnr, on a matter of principle, I consider it totally unthinkable that I should enjoy any gift presented by any of the above judges. It is also not my intention to extort any money from any of the above judges,” she stated.
“In lieu of the above, and also in support of the Minority Leader’s decision to return his share of the amount sent to him in that respect, I humbly return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) to be sent back to the Chief Whip of the Majority Caucus in Parliament bringing to his attention my reasons for doing so,” Mrs Appiagyei stated.
