PAC denies allegations of bribery

Chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, James Klutse Avedzi has denied allegations that the Committee is involved in bribery.

Over the years, allegations of bribery, corruption, and favoritism continued to circulate against the committee.

The subject received increased attention lately when investigative journalist Manasseh Awuni Azure made accusations in his newest book, 'The President Ghana Never Got'.

According to him, some Parliamentarians have confirmed that officials slated to come before the Committee to account for violations outlined in the Auditor General's report pay committee members to expedite their cases and secure leniency.

Addressing the concerns in Parliament on Tuesday, August 20, Committee Chairman James Klutse Avedzi stated that the claims were false.

“I’ve always tried to be fair, so I don’t take money from people to be lenient with them. If other members have been taking money so be it, but for me, I don’t do that.

“But those allegations will definitely be there because we are a public organization dealing with the public so people will come and say all sorts of things but it is not true,” he said.

When asked which of the matters submitted to the Attorney General have been prosecuted thus far, Mr Avedzi admitted that parliament had neglected to transmit any of the referrals from 2017 to the AG till this year.

“The challenge we had as a committee was that when we did all these, Parliament was not communicating to the Attorney General for them to take action until one day the Attorney General appeared before the Committee and I asked him about it and he said nothing has been communicated to him."

“So I had to do a follow-up and the Clerk of Parliament to communicate these referrals to the Attorney General’s Office," he revealed.

Source: Lead News Online