Minority is now trivialising the Merbank deal – Dr. Kunbuor
The Majority Leader, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor suspects the Minority in Parliament has limited information on the sale of Merchant Bank to Fortiz and has deliberately lurched into trivialities.
He also rebuffed claims by the Minority that the Majority used its numbers to stifle Monday’s emergency motion to launch an inquiry into the transaction.
The Minority in a press conference accused the Majority side of conniving with the Speaker to dismiss the case. To back the claim, Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the Majority’s foreknowledge about the Speaker’s ruling was evidenced in a press statement read by the Majority ten minutes after the sitting was adjourned sine die.
He said the opening address of the press statement which read good morning, when the statement was in fact read out in the afternoon give credence that the Majority knew how the Speaker was going to rule, he claimed.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor rubbished the Minority’s claim.
“When you are dealing with an issue of this magnitude and of importance, don’t rush into trivial and petty things like that.”
He noted that even before sitting on Monday, the Majority had a challenge as to how the motion was filed, asking whether parliament was properly convened and had intended to address the media on it as well as the transaction in the morning.
The Majority Leader admitted that though on the statement it was good morning, he approriately addressed the press good evening because the press conference was organised in the evening. He challenged critics to get the tape and listen for themselves.
Even that should not be an issue of interest in such a serious matter, he indicated. He asked, “What is its relevance to the Fortiz transaction? We could have even prepared this press conference the very first day they went and filed the recall to parliament?”
Meanwhile, the Minority MPs have vowed to launch their own investigations into the matter to ensure there is value for money in the transaction.
But Dr Benjamin Kunbuor issued a disclaimer against the intended inquiry to be conducted by the Minority.
He said the investigation has no relation with parliament and “nobody has a beef with them” inquiring into the transaction.
He however cautioned the Minority that since nobody is forcing them to engage in such an activity “any consequences would be self inflicted”.
“I have heard them asking the public to bring information, and I find it very interesting. I assumed that they have some information that is why they were already passing the value judgement on the transaction.
“So if you do not have the information what really formed your foundation to even begin to make the value judgement in relation to the transaction.”