Expatriates fail to appear before ‘cash for seat’ committee

The Special Committee of Parliament tasked to investigate the ‘cash-for-seat’ saga on Tuesday adjourned its sitting, following the non-appearance of the expatriates invited to testify before the committee.

The five-member committee was set to hear the testimony of the invited expatriates at 10 a.m. but their non-appearance as of 11.10 a.m. prompted the committee to call off its sitting.

New date

Announcing the decision of the committee to adjourn its sitting, the Chairman, Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, said: “Today, we plan to have before us expatriate businesses; we have written to them and we gave them 10 o’clock to appear before us.

“Unfortunately, we waited up till now and none has shown up and so we are unable to continue the work of the committee for the day.

“So we adjourn and probably re-contact them to appear before us on a later date to be determined by the committee.”

He said “the committee shall announce to the public, as we did previously, when we are able to firm up a new date.”

Scope of mandate

The committee, which started its hearings on January 11, 2018, is tasked to investigate the alleged levy and collection of various sums of money by the Ministry of Trade and Industry from expatriate businesses during the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards (GEBA) in Accra on December 4, 2017.

It is also to enquire if any payments were made and received, how disbursement was effected and whether such disbursement offended any law.

Besides, it is tasked to investigate any relevant matters and recommend appropriate measures aimed at redressing violations that might have occurred and prevent any such violations in the future.

It is required to submit its report to Parliament on January 24, 2018.

What prompted hearings

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, directed the formation of the committee after a debate on a motion on the subject matter moved by Alhaji Mubarak-Muntaka, the MP for Asawase, at an emergency sitting of Parliament on January 5, 2018.

Alhaji Mubarak-Muntaka, backed by 78 MPs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), requested an emergency sitting to consider a motion for a parliamentary probe into the alleged sale of seats for expatriate businessmen to sit close to the President at the awards.

The allegation is that the Ministry of Trade and Industry was involved in the collection of between $15,000 and $100,000 from expatriate businessmen and women to secure them seats on the presidential high table.

Following the allegation, the Presidency initiated an investigation into the matter by seeking explanation from the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, and after the investigations, the Presidency cleared the minister and his ministry of any wrongdoing.