No CCTV Footage Anywhere Will Show Ablakwa Returning 'Bribe' - Kweku Baako

Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has debunked claims that there was CCTV footage to prove the Parliamentary bribery scandal.

Giving an account on the bribery scandal, North Tongu MP Samuel Ablakwa claimed CCTV footage in Parliament captured him returning the money alleged to be a bribe from the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, to the Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak.

But the Joe Ghartey Committee report indicated that though they accessed the supposed footage, nothing on it clearly defined the bribery case and further refused to make the footage public citing security reasons.

The report however noted that transcripts of the assessment of the footage have been submitted to the Speaker of Parliament.

Addressing the issue on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo, Kweku Baako stated categorically that the claims of CCTV footage displaying Mr. Ablakwa returning the bribe to the Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak are untenable and of "no value".

He wondered how any person would think that the footage could prove anything because it doesn't have an 'X-ray' scanning device to show the content of the envelope that allegedly contained the money used to bribe the MPs if even there was an incident like that.

"There’s no CCTV footage anywhere that will show Ablakwa or any of those people holding envelopes to the office, handing over the envelope and what is more, whether money was in the envelope or not. Nowhere! There’s no such footage.”

He further revealed that the CCTVs do not capture activities that go on in the office, so Mr. Ablakwa's claims that it would reveal him giving back the money is ridiculous.

“What happens in there is not captured on the CCTV. That’s a fact. I know I’ve done a security breach. Parliament maybe should look for a cure to that but I needed to say this. So, again, what is the big deal?”

He therefore called on the legislators to stop toying with Ghanaians over the issue.