The Minister of the Interior, Henry Quartey, has refuted claims that he attempted to bribe opposition Members of Parliament by offering them slots to recruit their constituents into the security services.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, August 15, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia alleged that Mr Quartey made the offer to silence NDC legislators who were opposing the recruitment of about 10,000 party foot soldiers into the police force.
Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito, expressed grave concerns about the implications of such actions for peace in the upcoming election, stating that it does not bode well for peace for the Interior Minister to be clandestinely engaging in such activities.
But Mr Quartey has denied these allegations.
He admits that he had informed his other colleagues that the various portals for recruitment into security services were open, so they should inform their constituents to procure the forms before the general announcements.
The Interior Minister said that by this action, he had no intention of bribing opposition MPs.
He insists that, it was a way of extending a goodwill gesture and that he had not asked them to submit lists of constituents as alleged by General Mosquito.
“Of course, MPs have got constituents who may have also bought forms. Is it wrong to say that if there are forms, they should go through the same process?
“I am not saying that bring me files so I can put you there. So this statement, first of all, let me say categorically that I did not bribe any Member of Parliament,” he said on JoyNew’s The Pulse with Kojo Brace on Thursday.
Additionally, Mr Quartey said he mentioned it at a closed-door meeting with legislators, and the intent was not to bribe any of them for whatever reason.
“I have not bribed any Member of Parliament by offering them two –two and all that.”
The Interior Minister stated that the security service was a neutral institution, and so he cannot risk the peace and security that the country enjoys by filling these institutions with party foot soldiers.
“We don’t have political police, political soldiers, and political fire. Why do I say so? I have always made this statement and asked them [security agencies] to come and speak to it, which they have not done,” he added.
He therefore asked that Mr Nketia’s statement be disregarded.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
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