By Ashiadey Dotse
Lawyer and Political Activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has apologised for his bribery allegation against Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
His apology comes after making social media posts where he alleged that some ministerial appointees following their nomination by President John Mahama were paying the Committee to get approval.
In his Facebook post, Barker-Vormawor wrote, “So all the monies the ministerial appointees are being asked to pay to the Appointments Committee just to get approved, are those ones not affected by ORAL? Strange Republic.”
He was subsequently summoned to appear before Parliament’s Appointments Committee to substantiate allegations that the committee has been demanding money from ministerial nominees in exchange for their approval.
Many people believe he was directly accusing the Committee of corruption. But admitting to having made the post, lawyers for Mr Barker-Vormawor, led by Nana Ato Dadzie, said it was not directed at the appointments committee, describing it as misunderstanding.
He clarified that Barker-Vormawor did not intend to accuse members of corruption. Instead, his comments were meant to raise concerns about transparency and ethics in governance.
“The statement was not directed at the Appointments Committee. It was meant to bring attention to certain issues he had heard about, which might affect transparency,” Dadzie explained.
He further stated that the post had a double meaning and should not be seen as an attack on the Committee’s integrity. Instead, Barker-Vormawor was acting as a whistleblower, trying to highlight potential unethical practices.
“It was never his intention to insult the Committee. His statement was simply meant to highlight things that might be happening,” Dadzie added.
He later rendered an apology through his counsel, Nana Ato Dadzie, before the Appointments Committee.
“Mr. Chairman… We apologise, first of all, for what we posted, which we said was intended for something else.”
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