$15,000 was legally authorized not "corruption" -speaker

Accra, Oct.29, GNA- The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Peter Ala Adjeteh on Wednesday cautioned on the use of the word "corruption" so as not to overstretch it to cover even legally authorized transactions.

The Speaker was reacting to a recent statement made by the NDC flag bearer, Professor Evans Atta Mills in which he accused the Finance Minister of illegally authorizing the expenditure of 15,000 dollars to him (the Speaker) to go on leave.

Mr Ala Adjetey expressed surprise and disappointment at the manner the matter was handled by the NDC flag-bearer and wondered whether the word, "corruption" had been redefined to include duly authorized transactions such as expenditures on an approved leave.

In a statement faxed to the GNA, Mr Ala Adjetey said Professor Mills "listed as an example of corruption by the NPP the authorization by the Minister of Finance of the expenditure of 15,000 dollars on the Speaker's leave".

Mr Peter Ala Adjetey observed that the statement was "highly unfortunate and regrettable coming as it did from a highly placed Ghanaian who should know that public officers are not only entitled to go on leave but to receive leave entitlements".

The statement said "in recent times the Speaker of Parliament has been the focus of media attention in relation to his medical treatment abroad to which he was entitled and which facility was made use of a number of times by his predecessor to which the media did not see the need to take any objection".

"Although various attempts have been made to set the records straight, a section of the media, bent on tarnishing the hard-earned reputation of the nation's number three man, keeps on hammering the same issues in order to give credence to these baseless fatuous allegations".