Cape Coast Assembly Members Return Bribes Paid Them By Akufo-Addo’s MCE Nominee

A group of Assembly Members in the Cape Coast Metropolis say they have decided to return monies that were “gifted” them by President Akufo-Addo’s nominee for Metropolitan Chief Executive for Cape Coast.

Calling itself, “Concerned Assembly Members in Cape Coast,” the group said Ernest Arthur’s dirty cash has brought their reputation nothing but trouble.

This is because the Assembly Members are being accused of squandering the embattled MCE nominee’s money and voting against him 

 Mr. Arthur has been rejected twice by the Assembly.

The Concerned Assembly Members collated their share of the cash: Ghc3,000 per pro-NDC Assembly Member and Ghc2000 per pro-NPP Assembly Member in a brown envelope and handed it back after a press conference.

 “Every person is pointing accusing fingers at us that we, the assembly members have taken the money. This is the envelop and we are making sure we deliver the full amount to Ernest Arthur, the president’s nominee that we don’t need the money,” said Usman Abbam Egyin, spokesperson for the group.

They explain that the nominee just does not have the character befitting of the position he is seeking, “We are guarding against future violence and insecurity of the people of Cape Coast, as well as 2024 general elections…we took this firm stance on the background that the gentleman in question has a bad attitude towards elders and the people of Cape Coast as well as the technocrats he’s working with,” they alleged.

According to them, they had not been told that the money was bribe but that the money was a gift.

“He gave them to us as gifts. Gifts are gifts but we, the concerned assembly members, are here to give it back to him so the people of Cape Coast could stop pointing accusing fingers at us,” the group explained.

The over 20 Assembly Members indicated they are not the only ones who were given the money, saying they were setting an example for others who had also received the bribes to return it.

“We are setting a precedent that we the concerned assembly members in Cape Coast are rejecting this gift so people won’t speculate that they have bought our conscience.”

The development is a clear lead to the Police that Mr. Ernest Arthurs had bribed Assembly Members for approval as MCE for Cape Coast, and could be facing a criminal offense under the law.