Lawyers for Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a prominent activist and organizer of Democracy Hub, have strongly rejected allegations that their client is linked to bribery claims involving majority members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
The controversy arose after the Committee summoned Barker-Vormawor in connection with a social media post allegedly made by him, in which it was claimed that committee members had accepted bribes.
During a hearing before the Appointments Committee on Wednesday, January 29, Barker-Vormawor’s lead counsel, Nana Ato Dadzie, categorically denied the allegations.
He stated, “The statement is fake; this is not from Mr. Vormawor. He never posted that statement. The statement reads: ‘NDC members on the Appointments Committee take monies from Mahama’s ministerial nominees before approving them, and the Deputy Speaker must submit himself to ORAL.’ This is not from Mr. Vormawor.”
The lawyers also addressed a separate post on Barker-Vormawor’s Facebook page, in which he accused all members of the committee of taking bribes before vetting.
While clarifying that the post was not intended to tarnish the reputations of the committee members, Barker-Vormawor’s lawyer explained that the post was simply meant to inform the public about certain reports he had come across.
Allegations Stir Public Interest
The claims, which sparked public debate, surfaced ahead of the vetting of Defence Minister-designate Dr. Edward Omane Boamah on January 28.
Bernard Ahiafor, Chairman of the Appointments Committee and 1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament, categorically rejected the accusations, describing them as baseless and damaging to the integrity of the vetting process.
Mr. Ahiafor subsequently directed the Clerk of the Committee to formally invite Barker-Vormawor to provide evidence supporting his allegations during a session scheduled for Wednesday, January 29.
