A Youth activist and a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bright Botchway, has exposed the alleged falsification of a university degree by Member of Parliament for Adanse Akrofrom, Alex Blankson.
According to him, Blankson presented a forged certificate from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to his party, the NPP, and included the falsified document on his Curriculum Vitae.
In a petition addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Botchway emphasized that Blankson’s action was a blatant violation of the Ghanaian Criminal Offenses Act, 1960 (Act 29), and the Public Officers Act, 1962 (Act 109).
Apparently, Botchway had requested the UCC to verify the BSC Social Sciences Degree of Alex Blankson but was informed by the university it has no record of the MP ever being its student.
He stated, “Hon. Alex Blankson’s alleged actions of presenting a forged certificate, engaging in fraud, and making false representations could be deemed a criminal offense under Act 29, specifically relating to forgery, fraud, and false representation.”
“It also violates the conduct of public officials and is an abuse of public office as contained in Act 109. If Hon. Alex Blankson is found guilty of presenting false credentials and misleading his constituents and the public, he may contravene this act.”
Botchway raised concerns about the potential breach of qualification requirements for Parliamentarians and a possible violation of the Standing Orders of the House, which could compromise Blankson’s eligibility to hold public office.
The petitioner called for a formal investigation into the allegations of misconduct and emphasized the importance of fairness and transparency in maintaining the credibility and integrity of Parliament and the democratic process.
“The credibility and integrity of Parliament, as well as the democratic process, depend on fairness and transparency. Therefore, there is a need to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the veracity of the matter and to determine if Hon. Alex Blankson has breached any provisions of the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana, as well as relevant Ghanaian laws,” Botchwey added.
The letter from the UCC