Amidu Exposes “Compromised” NDC MPs in Double Salary Deal -On Parliament’s Appointment Committee

The immediate past Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu has revealed that President Akufo Addo’s administration had blackmailed National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs on the Appointments Committee of Parliament to approve his ministerial nominees.

According to Martin Amidu who had recently described President Akufo Addo as the “mother serpent” of corruption, in a statement released today said the Akufo Addo administration used the Double Salary Scandal and other criminal cases in which some NDC members were complicit, to whip them in line to approve his ministerial nominees.

In Martin Amidu’s latest epistle, dated Tuesday, May 25, responded to an allegation made by the current Attorney General, Godfred Dame, who had accused him of failing, when he was the Special Prosecutor, to prosecute MPs involved in the ‘double salary’ scandal despite evidence presented to his office then.

“My informants and agents within the Executive and parliamentary NDC are certain that the MPs Double Salary cases and other pending criminal cases involving some NDC Members of Parliament, formed part of the negotiation and compromises that paved the way for the resolution of the ministerial approval impasse with the NDC in Parliament,” the former Special Prosecutor wrote.

“It is an open secret, for those who care to find out that the second batch of NDC contractors have submitted their requests to the appropriate quarters, through a representative of the NDC in Parliament, who is to facilitate payments as part of the agreed compromise. “

An audit report of the payroll data revealed some legislators, including Ellembelle MP, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, and former Kpone Katamanso MP, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, the former Tamale Central MP, Inusah Fuseini; the Ada MP, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah and former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Eric Opoku, were among those accused of pocketing double salaries.

The police said the alleged action by the MPs “is contrary to Section 124 (1) of the Criminal and other Offences Act 1960 (Act 29), as amended in 2012, Act 849. Section 124 relates to the offence of stealing”.

From the audit report, in 2012, four Ministers took double salaries and by 2013 the double-salaried appointees had increased to 22, while in 2014 about 18 were said to be involved

In 2015 and 2016, 15 and 12 appointees took double salaries, respectively.

The list showed that the appointees received double salaries at least once a month, while others received them monthly throughout their service.

Initially, 25 NDC MPs were said to have been invited by the CID, but the then-Minority in Parliament held a press conference to debunk the allegation.