The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
yesterday adopted a 16-page report of the committee set up to
investigate corruption allegations levelled against the National
Executives of the party by NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin
Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
After weeks of investigations, the Disciplinary Committee could not
establish any wrongdoing against especially the National Chairman Jake
Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey neither was Mr Agyapong able to prove his
allegations against the man.
A copy of the report dated March 13,2014 and stumbled upon by DAILY
GUIDE, noted that Mr Agyapong, who was the respondent in the case,
apologized to the Committee for calling the National Chairman a thief.
The Assin Central MP was quoted as saying he did not intend to call the National Chairman a thief.
That notwithstanding, the Committee, chaired by Most Reverend Dr Asante
Antwi, said "the respondent must apologise in writing to the National
Executive within 14 days from the date of the acceptance of this
report."
Issues
The tough-talking MP had, among others, alleged that the National
Executives had misapplied funds and other resources entrusted to them
for the use of the party in the 2012 presidential and parliamentary
campaign.
He also claimed that an amount of GH¢100,000 donated by one of the
party's benefactors was given to the National Chairman (accompanied by
Bryan Acheampong) in the presence of the Central Regional Chairman of
the NPP, Ekow Danquah Smith otherwise known as Butey.
The Committee therefore set out to ascertain whether the National
Chairman received the- said amount and how it was utilized, and whether
the party officers hid some of the motorbikes and other resources meant
for the 2012 campaign for purposes other than the benefit of the party.
They also wanted to establish whether some party executives used
proceeds of the party resources to acquire hotels and whether Mr
Agyapong was liable for misconduct in publishing his complains.
In all, the Committee was said to have had 20 sittings and interviewed
not less than 12 persons including the party's Campaign Manager for the
2012 election, Boakye Agyarko, Bryan Acheampong, the National Chairman's
chief of staff, Ato Williams, Director of Logistics of the 2012
campaign, National Chairman Jake Obestebi- Lamptey, General Secretary
Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie popularly known as Sir John and Kennedy Agyapong.
The rest were National Treasurer, Esther Ofori, Oppong Bio, a member of
the Finance Committee of the 2012 campaign team, Kwadwo Opare-Hammond,
Head of Finance and Administration at the national headquarters, Charles
Owiredu, in charge of the party's International Affairs, Lord Commey,
who was Director of Operations of the 2012 campaign and Emmanuel Charles
Taylor Quarshie, Person-al Assistant of the National Chairman.
Findings
Having examined the evidence brought before it, the Committee uncovered
that "not all the motorbikes, T-shirts and other materials could be
used for the 2012 campaign in view of their late arrival" and that
"evidence shows that some of the motorbikes in particular are still
un-assembled and stored by party officers in the constituencies." They
therefore accepted the evidence of the party's Director of Logistics
during the 2012 campaign, Ato Williams that "the campaign team had in
their custody the motorbikes and T-shirts it could not distribute."
The Committee nevertheless established that "some of the motorbikes
were on the open market. The Committee is, however, unable to ascertain
how they got there."
Mr Agyapong was said to have shown the Committee photographs of
motorbikes in some premises, but was unable to indicate whether they
were houses of party officers or Bryan Acheampong, whom he accused of
hiding some of the bikes in his house.
Even though National Chair-man Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey was said to have
admitted receiving the said GHtfl00,000.00, "the Committee finds that
the original intention was to use the money for payment of MPs' filing
fees but the purpose changed and it was used for other party
activities."
Apart from that, even though it was established that "Bryan Acheampong
is putting up a hotel in Kwahu, there was no evidence that he is using
party resources for this."
The Committee therefore came to the conclusion that "by the statements
complained of and their publication on radio, the respondent (Ken
Agyapong) brought the name of the party into disrepute."
Recommendations
Subsequently, the Assin-North MP was advised to address grievances he might have to the appropriate party office.
Furthermore, the Asante Antwi-led Committee expressed displeasure about
the attitude of Bryan Acheampong because "he was flippant in his
responses to questions and generally haughty in his disposition towards
the Committee."
SOURCE;GHANA WEB
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