Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has withdrawn and apologised for allegations of fraud he made against Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka over the ongoing security service recruitment exercise.
The apology was delivered on the floor of Parliament after First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor referred the Minority Leader to the Privileges Committee on grounds of contempt. The referral followed a complaint by the Interior Minister, who described the allegations as baseless and damaging to his reputation.
Mr Afenyo-Markin had alleged that the involvement of a third-party IT firm in the recruitment process amounted to a scam and imposed an undue financial burden on applicants. However, in his statement before the House, he said he did not intend to tarnish the Minister’s image and formally withdrew any remarks that suggested wrongdoing.
“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not do that to hurt him or tarnish his reputation, and if the text of my concern reflected so, it is hereby accordingly withdrawn,” he said, adding that any concerns arising in future would be properly brought to the Minister’s attention.
Responding to the apology, Mr Muntaka described the allegations as deeply distressing but said he accepted them wholeheartedly. He also appealed to the Speaker to have the matter expunged from the parliamentary record, expressing hope that it would be treated as though it never happened.