A Deputy Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chapter in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Fiifi Asante Mpare, has described as shameful the alleged bribery incident involving the Kwadaso MP in the just-ended Ejisu by-election.
The Member of Parliament for Kwadaso Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Professor Kingsley Nyarko, was allegedly caught on camera handing over an envelope suspected to contain cash to some Electoral Commission (EC) officials at a polling centre in the ongoing by-election at Ejisu.
He was seen in the video pulling the white envelope from his pocket and placing it on the table in front of the EC officials.
The MP has admitted that it was a favour he did the officials, and they were to use the content of the envelope for lunch.
Reacting to this, Fiifi Asante Mpare wondered why the MP would engage in such a shameless act.
He commended EC for taking swift action by withdrawing the officials involved in the matter and asking the police to investigate it.
He said all those involved in the matter ought to be prosecuted and jailed if need be.
In a UK radio interview on Rainbow Radio 92.4 FM, he emphasized that we should not condone such actions.
He stressed the need for us to preserve our democracy.
He stated that we adopted the democracy we practice from the whites; hence, we must adopt the positives.
He said if this had happened in the UK, the MP would have been under investigation by now.
“The investigation by the EC should not end there; those involved have to be prosecuted and sent to prison if possible, including the MP. What happened was horrible. If they (EC officials) were hungry, was the MP the one to give them food? The EC had preparations and plans in place to give them food. The MP had no business giving them the envelope and asking them to use it for lunch. We have to allow the systems to work efficiently. The incident does not augur well for our democracy, and we have to deal with it appropriately.
Meanwhile, Nana Osei Asibey Socatoa, and Swindon Chapter Chairman NPP say there was nothing wrong with an MP going to the two EC officials for lunch.
He stated that it is unnecessary for us to worry about.
But later, she described it as not the best. He said the MP did not have to give them the envelope, although he had good intentions behind it.
He added that under no circumstances would the EC officials have succeeded in manipulating the election in favour of the NPP.
He told host Daniel Dadson that the NPP was bound to win the by-election, and therefore it would not serve any interest for them to convince anyone to rig it in their favour.
By: Rainbow Radio online.com/Ghana
