Local governance expert, Ing. Issaka Amon-Kotei has called on the office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate reports of bribery in the confirmation of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCE) nominee for the Juabeng municipality.
The MMDCE nominee for Juabeng, Alex Sarfo Kantanka was rejected by the Assembly Members of Juabeng with 23 percent of them voting yes to his nomination. After 10 days another election was organized to see if the Assembly Members had changed their minds about him and yet still, a majority voted no to his nomination.
Prior to the second round of voting, it was alleged the Member of Parliament for Juabeng, Ama Pomaa Boateng gave each assembly member $100 and the latest IPhone each to influence them to vote for the nominee.
Ing Amon-Kotei reacting to the allegation in an interview with Happy98.9FM’s Don Kwabena Prah on the Epa Hoa Daben show, stated, “The Special Prosecutor must intervene and arrest some people if this is true. It is against the principle of election as you’re bribing people to vote for you. You’re influencing the decision of the assembly members and that’s a crime. What the definition of bribery? The special prosecutor must come in and investigate the issue.”
According to him, these gifts were not given to the assembly members for goodwill but it was to influence the process. “The President had nominated someone and they have a problem with the nominee so why are the assembly members being bribed to influence the decision.”
The local governance expert expressed his disappointment at the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for their management of local governance, “and this is sad. The process for the confirmation of MMDCEs has been polluted.”
