INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ON BRIBERY ALLEGATION SCANDAL INVOLVING FEDERAL SRC PRESIDENT OF UHAS, H.E AFRANE PIOUS.

CAMPUS RADIO GHANA     1/11/2017 

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ON BRIBERY ALLEGATION SCANDAL INVOLVING FEDERAL SRC PRESIDENT OF UHAS, H.E AFRANE PIOUS. 

The writeup of a student activist and advocates, Mr. Gordon Awuku, a UHAS student belonging to the School of Public Health has over the weekend shot speculations as to the credibility of the tape that accompanied the writeup. The Federal SRC President of UHAS, H.E Afrane Pious was cited in the article bargaining to facilitate the Judicial process of the case between a disgruntled Presidential aspirant by name Mr. Joseph Agyekum and both the Chair of the Electoral Commission and the Deputy Chair of the Electoral Commission. 

He has since become the centre of discussion with a section of students calling for his immediate impeachment with others still in a state of shock and confusion, seeking to know the truth of the matter. 

Our journalistic imperative compelled us to ascertain the veracity of the news. We began a deep cover investigation to reach the core of the matter to report every single detail of our findings. 

EVENTS LEADING TO COURT CASE

During the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) congress in Tamale to elect new executives to run the affairs of the association for the 2017/2018 year there was massive invasion of thugs (macho men) who whisked some ballot boxes away as well as scattered them. The scattered ballot boxes were gathered and countered to declare the winner. The Deputy Chair of the Electoral Commission of USAG, in the absence of the substantive Chair who was unreachable at the time, made the declaration. 

The aspirant who lost the elections, Mr. Joseph Agyekum proceeded to the Judicial Court to seek redress due the "supposed" electoral irregularities. 

RULING OF JUDICIAL BOARD OF USAG

The Judicial Board having considered the case with the evidence of invasion of thugs during the elections amongst other relevant components of the petition, the board made the following recommendations. 

- The Deputy Chair of the EC who arrogated powers to declare the winners of the election was mandated by the USAG Constitution in article 43 (3) to do so in the absence of the Chair or when the chair is indisposed. 

-The integrity and sanctity of the election has been grossly compromised due to the tempering with ballot papers. Ballot papers is however key in the determination of the credibility and the integrity of the election. The board found it wrong on the part of the EC to gather the ballot papers that were tempered with to declare the results. 

-The Judicial Board exercised article 19 (1) to unravel the mystery of whether or not the congress has ended with the declaration. 

The verdict of the Judicial Board was the annulment of the results of the elections and gave the Electoral officers 14 days to organize another congress. 

ALLEGED BRIBERY SCANDAL

In the audio tape involving three different parties which are the immediate past USAG President, Hon. Emmanuel Kwarteng, Judicial Board Chair, Mr. Obiri-Adjei Michael and Federal SRC President of UHAS, H.E Afrane Pious there was bargaining for a supposed amount of GHC 4000.00. 

Campus Radio made contacts with all the three personalities heard in the conversation in the audio. 

In an exclusive interview with the immediate Past USAG President, Hon. Emmanuel Kwarteng, he doubted the credibility and authenticity of the audio. He questioned whether or not the voices in the audio are the parties involved. The past President confirmed that certain portions of the audio were his voice and he runs wild when he hears certain portions changed to suit whoever's individual interest. 

Hon. Emmanuel Kwarteng blamed the purported audio on the crafty political arena where some people take capitalize of the gaps in the system to their advantage. He affirmed that he had a conversation with the parties involved but was for the demand of their allowance by the Judicial Board which according to him was quite outrageous hence the bargain. 

The immediate past USAG President has stated confidently that he didn't record the call conversation and cannot point fingers at any party for being responsible for recording it. 

He concluded by reiterating the fact that the GHC 4000.00 mentioned in the audio was the amount requested by the Judicial Board as allowance. 

The first party in the audio conversation was the Judicial Committee Chair, Mr. Obiri-Adjei Michael who also shared his side of the story. 

He told Campus Radio that the negotiation was not for sale of justice but rather as renumeration of service. The Judicial Board made up of five justices deserve renumeration which covers their transportation and other expenses. "As Judicial Committee Chair, I was required to speak on behalf of the rest of the members and that was why there was a negotiation in the purported audio", he said. The GHC 4000.00 proposed meant that each board member was going to receive GHC 800.00 for the six (6) months of service. He further revealed that the association has not stated any statutory or fixed amount due the board or committees hence the negotiations. 

Mr. Obiri-Adjei emphatically stated that he didn't record the phone conversation and it's difficult for him to tell which party did the recording. He was quick to add that certain portions of the conversation were cut out and therefore the tape was not a true representation of what was discussed. 

The mention of Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) petition by one Mr. Eric Dumenu was new to him and disclosed that EOCO has not invited them for interrogation. 

The Judicial Committee Chair put on record that, Mr. Eric Dumenu is one of the very first people who made a publication alleging that the negotiation was a bribe and redirected us to get details of the story from him. 

Mr. Obiri-Adjei advised student activists to get details of any story before they make any claims. "Hasty conclusion without veracity is likely to dent the reputation of the individuals and there may be consequences at certain times", he concluded. 

The gentleman who petitioned EOCO, Mr. Eric Dumenu confirmed that he has notified the security agency to investigate the matter.

He also explained that the delay in the invitation of the parties involved is as a result of the series of equally important cases like that of the SSNIT fraud scandal amongst others. 

Mr. Dumenu in a sharp contrast, stated that the immediate Past USAG President, Hon. Emmanuel Kwarteng leaked the audio recordings. 

According to him, the audio recordings was a bid to mobilize funds from some aspirants to pay the amount the Judicial Board was demanding to safeguard an emergency congress which came off eventually based on the ruling of the Judicial Committee. 

Mr. Dumenu told Campus Radio that some aspirants who were peeved gave the audio recordings to him to take it up from there. He found it baffling that GHC 4000.00 was the amount due the Judicial Board members as allowance and has described it as "create, loot and share". He clearly stated that the Judicial Board members had already received allowances for the cases they had sat on and there was no reason to demand such outrageous amount. 

Mr. Dumenu agreed that the audio conversation was dovetailed into one audio and further cited what A-Plus did to Maame Tiwa. He stated that people remove certain portions of an audio to suit their personal interest. 

Mr. Dumenu emphatically stated that his attention is not on H.E Afrane Pious and therefore should not be brought into the picture but rather the Judicial Board Chairman and the immediate past USAG. 

He disclosed that he has audio evidences which was an indictment to the immediate past USAG President, Hon. Emmanuel Kwarteng. 

The petitioner revealed that the USAG account has been depleted due to the dubious means with some SRC Presidents at the USAG congress. 

He has promised to provide Campus Radio with evidences to help us proceed to the next stage of the investigation. 

The current President of USAG, Hon. Oppong Kesse Albert who was an aspirant by then came in to share his side of the story. According to him, the immediate past USAG President never came to him and his current executives for money to pay the Judicial Board members. 

The investigations still continues..... Stay tuned 

By: Angmortey Kwabena Raphael

(Campus Radio Ghana) 

Kwabenaraphael20@gmail.com 

0546912055