Minority MPs threaten to impeach Mahama over bribery allegation

The Minority in Parliament has hinted of a possible impeachment process against President John Mahama for taking a Ford Expedition Vehicle as a gift from a Burkinabe Contractor Djibril Kanazoe.

According to the Minority Spokesperson on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Joe Osei-Owusu, the gift was a bribe to influence the President to give out juicy deals to the said contractor, citing a conflict of interest.

A report on Accra Based Joy FM highlighted the relationship between the President and the contractor who was given a 650,000 dollar contract to rebuild a wall for the Ghanaian Embassy in Burkina Faso.

The Government has rejected allegations of wrongdoing by the President but speaking on the matter, the Bekwai MP said the Minority may consider an impeachment process against the President.

“We planned and organised our constitution such that the President will not be in need. How many vehicles are in the presidential pool and how many vehicles can he not have? Does he need this gift?Does the state need this gift from a contractor?

Why didn’t he[contractor] reduce the cost of the project rather ? Some decisions are not personal, whether to impeach the President or not , whether it is right or legal but whether it is politically right is another issue.”

Why Mahama might be wrong for allegedly accepting gift

Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana states, “A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office.” This constitutional provision has informed a new bill, Conduct of Public Officers Bill, 2013, presented by cabinet to Parliament.

According to Section 21 (b) a public officer many not “ accept a gift, favour or an advantage that has the potential to influence the proper discharge of the public officer’s functions or judgment, from a person with whom the public officer comes into contact in relation to the public officer’s functions”. Citifmonline.com