Lawyer clarifies Barker-Vormawor's bribery allegation was not aimed at appointments committee

Nana Ato Dadzie, the counsel for the convenor of FixTheCountry and DemocracyHub , Oliver Barker-Vormawor has clarified that his client's recent social media post accusing members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee of bribery was not directed at the committee itself.

Speaking during a sitting of the committee on Wednesday, January 29, lawyer Nana Ato Dadzie said Barker-Vormawor’s social media post was meant to highlight broader concerns rather than directly accuse the committee of any wrongdoing. 

"It was not directed at the Appointments Committee in any way," the lawyer stated. "It was intended solely to expose certain matters."

The controversy began after Barker-Vormawor alleged that ministerial appointees had been asked to pay money to the committee to secure approval.

In a Facebook post Barker-Vormawor made on Friday, January 24, 2025,  he accused members of the Appointments Committee of soliciting bribes in exchange for approving ministerial nominees. The accusations have sparked controversy, prompting the committee to demand clarification.

While his lawyer acknowledged that Barker-Vormawor had authored the initial post, the lawyer maintained that it was made with a specific intent to draw attention to certain issues.

A second post, which featured a photo of Barker-Vormawor holding a microphone and included further accusations, has since been disputed. 

The lawyer confirmed that Barker-Vormawor was not the author of this second post. He suggested that it may have been manipulated or posted by others, and he expressed regret that it had caused confusion.

The committee members, who had been tasked with vetting ministerial appointees, expressed frustration over the repeated allegations of corruption that seem to surface during every vetting cycle. 

A member of the committee and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annor- Dompreh called for a thorough investigation to uncover the origins of the posts, emphasising the importance of protecting the integrity of Parliament.

"This issue recurs every time the Appointments Committee conducts vetting," the committee member remarked. "We need to get to the root of these allegations and address them properly."

The committee also questioned whether Nana Ato Dadzie was proud of the first post, and the lawyer responded that the intention was not to tarnish Parliament's reputation but to highlight broader concerns in the political system.

He also confirmed that the second post, which included Barker-Vormawor’s image, was not authored by his client.

Also, a member of the committee, Patrick Yaw Boamah,  labelled activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor’s request for an apology over a bribery allegation as an “afterthought,” insisting that Barker-Vormawor should be held accountable for his actions.

He said Barker-Vormawor’s claims, made earlier on social media, were unfounded and that the activist should face consequences for the alleged misconduct. “It is an afterthought, and he must be made to pay for his sins,” Boamah stated.