Edward Doe Adjaho, Ghana’s speaker of parliament, has denied the allegation that some MPs were bribed to approve a US$129.9 million contract with Chinese technology company ZTE for a national security system.
HumanIPO reported last month some MPs had expressed concern over the quality of work ZTE may provide based on other projects and had instructed communications minister Edward Omane-Boamah to investigate further.
The deal was approved however one week later for ZTE to build the Dedicated Security Information System Infrastructure.
Ghana News Agency reports there had been allegations MPs were bribed with mobile handsets to approve the deal, but Adjaho said he had referred the matter to the Privileges Committee which found the claims to be baseless.
The handsets received by MPs, he said, were part of a project to improve security for members as other parliamentary staff had already received similar gadgets.
“This is part of the occupational hazards in holding public offices. I do not see how mobile phones can be used to bribe members of this House,” Adjaho said.
