Mark Ewusi, Convenor of Election Watch Ghana and National Youth Organizer for the People’s National Convention (PNC), Petitions the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate claims of bribery during the recent Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting hosted by the Electoral Commission on October 1.
Ewusi alleges that several political party representatives received monetary handouts just minutes before the start of the meeting. He claims that he himself was given GHC3,000, and that the money was handed to him by an executive of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
Speaking to journalists after filing the petition, Ewusi explained that sharing money at an IPAC meeting was unprecedented, raising concerns that the cash distribution was intended to sway decisions made during the engagement. He emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the incident to determine who was behind the alleged bribes and the motivations behind them.
However, Jerry Apawu, the General Secretary of the LPG and the individual accused of distributing the funds, denied the bribery allegations. Apawu explained that he had only given Ewusi the money after the latter approached him for financial help to settle his family’s rent. Apawu further claimed that Ewusi had sought assistance after his political leader, Bernard Mornah, was unable to help. Apawu stated that he had not yet been contacted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor for any questioning regarding the matter.
The IPAC meeting, attended by representatives from ten political parties, focused on the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) request for a forensic audit of the provisional voters register. Of the ten parties, eight opposed the request, while two supported it. The meeting was televised for public viewing.
Ewusi’s petition brings the focus back to the integrity of political processes, with the hope that any potential misconduct will be thoroughly investigated.
SOURCE: http://dew360.net
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