Pro-government Group, Fixing The Country Movement is calling for the prosecution of some Members of Parliament (MPs) who served as Ministers in the erstwhile John Mahama administration for allegedly receiving double salaries.
According to the Group, it takes serious offense to the inertia that has characterized the investigations and prosecution of the beneficiaries of the double salary saga.
It may be recalled that in 2018, it emerged that some MPs who served as Ministers in the Mahama administration allegedly received double salaries.
But the group is unenthused about the seeming silence on the matter three years on.
Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, Convener of the Movement in a statement issued in Accra stated that it is aware of an audit report of the payroll data that revealed that many Ministers, who served under former President John Mahama, took double salaries for four years, while others received double salaries for two and three years.
It claimed that from 2012 to 2016 when the NDC was in office, some of the appointees were captured in all the data collated as having received double salaries.
“The former Tamale Central MP, Inusah Fuseini; Ada MP, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah and former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Eric Opoku were among those captured by the data” the statement said.
Owusu Bempah further alleged: “We have read a police report on the matter that said the alleged action by the MPs “is contrary to Section 124 (1) of the Criminal and other Offences Act 1960 (Act 29), as amended in 2012, Act 849. Section 124 relates to the offence of stealing”.
The Movement stated that it has been over 4 years and we’ve still not seen any action taken by the Attorney General and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to bring finality to the matter.
“We’re livid over the inactions of the law enforcement agencies to ensure that the full might of the law is brought to bear on the culprits. Crime must never be overlooked no matter the persons involved.”
Owusu Bempah said “In that regards, we request the immediate intervention of law enforcement to ensure a criminal investigation process is activated in a prompt and impartial manner just so the beneficiaries of the double salary saga can face the consequences of their criminal action.”
The group maintained that criminal misdemeanour should be accorded the seriousness it deserves by allowing the criminal justice system to interpret and assess its social impact and apportion punishment as prescribed by law, which is why this petition needs to be treated with utmost urgency and seriousness.
Owusu Bempah argued that the impression of impunity may encourage others to take the same route and it may ultimately lead to the destruction of the fabric of the State.
Source: MyPublisher24.com