MP says his suspension is "undemocratic"

Accra, 10th Aug. 1999 - Mr Ishmael Ashitey, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema East, on Monday described his suspension from the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) saying he has not committed any offence that warrants an apology as is being demanded. In a statement in Accra in reaction to TMA's decision to suspend him for refusing to apologise, he said: "to my best knowledge, I have not committed any offence, whatsoever to warrant any apology of any kind to any person or institution."

The MP has been suspended for two consecutive sessions for refusing to render the apology. Mr Ashitey explained that at a press soiree for newsmen in December 1997, he took the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Nii Armah Ashitey to task for several administrative lapses. These he alleged included diversions, misappropriations and illegalities in the conduct of the TEXPO Project at Baatsona and the administration of the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) of the assembly. "As it is to be expected, the different press houses reported the meeting differently. "Some rightly referred to the chief executive as the target of my accusations while others merely stated the executive." Mr Ashitey said TMA's sub-committee on complaints and public relations assigned its secretary to provide the house with all the newspapers that reported the soiree. This was to enable it to take a decision as to whether he had imputed wrongdoing against the integrity of the chief executive or the executive of the TMA. "As at this day, the secretary is yet to produce the publications and neither has the TMA approached the two private newspapers, (the Ghanaian Voice and the Ghanaian Chronicle) which reported on the issue. "What I know has precipitated this undemocratic decision propelled by blackmail and arm-twisting by some interested persons at the TMA is that there have been diversions, misappropriations and illegalities in the conduct of the TEXPO project and the administration of the PAF." Giving figures to back these allegations, Mr Ashitey said an initial amount of 298 million cedis approved by the Tender Board for construction of the TEXPO wall and gate was doubled from 600 million cedis to 1.2 billion cedis. This was done without the involvement of or approval by the TMA Board, of which he is a member. He said neither the chief executive nor the Board has the authority to approve any project worth 1.2 billion cedis, which is a prerogative of the Regional Tender Board. Mr Ashitey challenged the Chief Executive to provide a document with his (MP's) signature as having deliberated on the 600 million cedis or the 1.2 billion cedis as is the normal practice. He said in 1997 and 1998, TMA's share of the district assemblies' common fund was 4.456 billion cedis, out of which approximately 900 million cedis was set aside for the PAF.

"Till now, the Chief Executive has not answered questions in which account or bank the money has been lodged since it cannot be traced at the Bank of Ghana." Mr Ashitey said the Metropolitan Chief Executive must also tell the people of Tema and the country, who the beneficiaries of the amount are, the outstanding balance and produce the full statement of account on PAF from 1997 to date. He added: "by this statement, I am alerting the Serious Fraud Office and the office of the auditor-general to conduct thorough investigations into the TEXPO project and TMA's PAF.