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By: Paakhwesi Faith
Afenyo-Markin Retracts Fraud Allegations, Apologises to Interior Minister Muntaka
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has formally withdrawn his allegations of fraud in the ongoing security services recruitment process and apologised to the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka.
The apology was delivered on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, March 4, following a directive by the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, who referred the Minority Leader to the Privileges Committee on grounds of contempt. The referral came after the Interior Minister lodged a complaint, describing the allegations made against him as baseless and damaging to his reputation.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin had earlier alleged that the involvement of a third-party IT firm in the recruitment exercise amounted to a scam and imposed an undue financial burden on applicants.
However, addressing the House, the Minority Leader sought to clarify his position and retract the remarks.
“Mr Speaker, I will not do that to hurt him or tarnish his reputation, and if the text of my concern reflected so, it is hereby accordingly withdrawn. I assure you that concerns that will arise out of any matter shall be properly brought to his attention,” he stated.
In response, Mr. Muntaka described the allegations as deeply distressing, particularly given their gravity.
“It is painful to be wrongly accused and be labelled differently from the intention that you have, especially when it is connected with heavy wrongdoing. I am heavily hurt and heavily worried, but who am I to say that I will not accept when my colleague comes to apologise? I accept it wholeheartedly,” he said.
The Interior Minister further appealed to the Speaker to have the matter expunged from the parliamentary record, adding, “My plea is that, if it is possible, it should be expunged from our records so that it will be as though it never happened.”
The development brings closure to the parliamentary dispute over the recruitment allegations.
Source: Locotvgh