Radio Gold started bribery claim – Ayariga

Bawku Central Member of Parliament Mahama Ayariga has revealed that the allegation of bribery against the leadership of the Appointments Committee of parliament and Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko started from Radio Gold.

He told the committee on Monday February 20 that the Accra-based radio station broadcast the news about the allegation earlier that day and subsequently called him to comment on it since he was a member of the Appointments Committee.

He told the committee: “The bribery allegation came out through Radio Gold and Radio Gold started it, I think in the afternoon, in the form of breaking news. This must have been around two o’clock in the afternoon and then it went into social media (and) it went online.

“I got wind of it online, I didn’t hear but I just saw it on WhatsApp that Radio Gold had said this, then subsequently I got the call from Radio Gold asking for an interview with me on this issue that they had put out.

“I thought about it and said OK I will grant them the interview and I will tell them what I knew about it because I was a member of the committee.’”

Mr Ayariga, who is a member of the Appointments Committee, alleged that Minority MPs rejected GHS3000 given to them by Joe Osei-Owusu, chairman of the Appointments Committee, after they had found out the money was coming from Mr Agyarko who was then a minister designate, to induce them to approve his nomination after he had appeared before the committee.

Mr Osei-Owusu, who was the first to appear before the Ghartey Committee, has denied the allegations against him.