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General News of Thursday, 18 January 2018

Source: starrfmonline.com

Akufo-Addo undermining ‘cash for seat’ committee – Ablakwa

MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

A witness at the ongoing parliamentary committee probing the cash for seat allegation Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has accused President Akufo-Addo of undermining the committee.

President Akufo-Addo in his encounter with the media at the Flagstaff House Wednesday described the allegation as flimsy and irresponsible.

“In fact, I think that the position that I have taken potentially…could lend me into a lot of problems which is to say that any allegation that is made against any appointee of mine will be investigated.

“And that opens you up for having to investigate even the flimsiest and irresponsible allegations that are made. …like for instance what is going on in parliament now,” the President said.

Reacting to the President claim, the North Tongu MP said the committee and its future report have been bastardised by the President.

“It is prejudicial, it sub judique, you don’t do that. The whole process has been undermined, he has just bastardised the whole special committee’s work, it’s really a sad day for our democracy,” he told Starr News.

President Akufo-Addo insisted that the allegations are politically motivated and that it would be incomprehensible for the CEO of Dream Realty and Inesfly, Saeed Fakhri to pay the $100.000.00 to sit close to him at the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards last year.

The awards ceremony generated massive controversy after it emerged that expatriate business moguls including Mr. Fakhri who participated in the ceremony were charged a whopping figure to sit close to the president.

“His father was a good friend of my own father and he himself has become a very close personal friend of mine. I know him and I eat in his house. He eats in my house. He has my telephone number. I have his. Even since I became president I have eaten in his house a couple of times. He has also been to my house,” President Akufo-Addo told journalists Wednesday at the Flag Staff House.

He added, “I will be amazed if somebody like that, Saeed Fakhri will think that he needs to pay money to come and sit next to me. This is a man who can get me on the telephone anytime of his choosing. Who sees me, who comes to my house and whose house I go to.”