NPP should've referred Kingsley Nyarko's bribery allegation to the police - Inusah Fuseini

Former Ranking Member of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament, Inusah Fuseini, has chastised the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for defending Professor Kingsley Nyarko's alleged bribery of Electoral Commission (EC) temporary staff in the Ejisu by-election.

In a statement on Thursday, May 2, the NPP MP said the EC "has over the years built an image of credibility, integrity, honesty and discipline, and I will not do anything untoward to erode such virtues."

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on May 2, Mr Fuseini said the party should have referred the matter to the police rather than jumping in to defend the MP’s actions.

He explained that the NPP's actions contradict the core principles of democracy and were only worsening the monetisation of politics.

“I think what the NPP should have done was to refer him to the police and not defend him.

That is the first step because that goes to the core of our democracy.

That is very dangerous.

So NPP itself ought to have reported the conduct of the Member of Parliament of Kwadaso to the Police for investigation”he said.

The former legislator explained that Professor Nyarko’s involvement in the alleged bribery incident brought his office as a Parliamentarian into disrepute, hence the House could evoke a standing order to ensure the MP faces the necessary sanctions.

“Again this is a Member of Parliament.

The ethics of a Member of Parliament that I know of forbids a Member of Parliament from bringing the office of Parliament into disrepute.

Read also: Ejisu by-election: NPP MP for Kwadaso, Kingsley Nyarko fingered in alleged electoral malpractice

"For a Member of Parliament to be aware that you have that ethics in Parliament and boldly stands before election officers and give them an envelope containing money on the pretence that he is feeding them is totally against the ethics of Parliament and I think that Parliament itself can invoke the standing orders of Parliament against the Member of Parliament for bringing the office of Parliament into disrepute,” he told host, Samuel Kojo Brace.

In a viral video during the Ejisu by-election on Tuesday, Dr Nyarko was seen approaching the table and dropping an envelope on the table manned by the presiding Officer and the Ballot Issuer.

The EC subsequently withdrew the two officials at the Fumesua Pentecost Church Polling Station stating it has started investigations into the matter.