Minority calls for investigation into AMERI trip

The Minority in Parliament is demanding an investigation into a recent trip to Dubai by members of the Addison Committee, which reviewed the AMERI deal.

The trip is said to have been sponsored by AMERI. “What comes to us as a shock is that a three-day trip was extended to a week for reasons known to members of the committee,” Minority’s Spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, said at a press conference on Tuesday, Aprl 18.

“Strangely, the [Energy] minister’s brother who is a Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, who is not a member of the committee, joined the trip on the second day of their visit, also under the sponsorship of AMERI. A situation that is embarrassing, unethical and shameful.”

The 17-member committee set up by Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko was chaired by renown lawyer Philip Addison.

“It is undoubtedly true that the Addison committee is a ministerial committee and, therefore, a public body,” Mr Forson noted.

“The committee was under constitutional obligation not to place itself in a situation of conflict of interest.”

He said for the members to have been sponsored on the trip by a firm they are to investigate tells how much they may have been compromised.

“Given the public embarrassment of allowing a private entity to bear the cost of the work of the committee or public body, this constitutional breach must be properly investigated and the guilty members of the committee should be appropriately sanctioned.”