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One of the former appointees being investigated for allegedly receiving double salaries is accusing the government of discrimination. Inusah Fuseini who has denied receiving double salary said he is even more disappointed with the criminal process government has decided to use when a simple refund would have suffice even if there was a case of double payment.
“Why is the matter being investigated by the CID? The practice in the public service is that when a public servant receives a salary over and above what he is entitled to, I don’t think the conduct is referred to the CID. The paying officers will invite him and reconcile his salary and what has been paid and ask him to refund.
“We have seen some level of discrimination in the treatment of former ministers and Members of Parliament,” he said.
He has however assured that he and colleagues will honour the invitation to the CID.
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At least nine former appointees including the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu are being investigated by the CID for allegedly receiving double salaries.
A total of 25 ex-appointees were initially issued with letters by the CID accusing them of stealing and asking them to assist with investigations.
They had allegedly received salaries as MPs and ministers, a claim most of them have denied.
However, reports say 16 of them were later called and apologized to by the CID with the investigative body still in the hunt for nine.
One of the nine, Inusah Fuseini told Joy News he cannot be accused of collecting double salary when he does not even know the quantum of salary he takes.
Ex-president John Mahama
“We don’t know what constitutes double salary; our salaries were determined in December 2016. We were paid salary arrears and the advances that were given to us were reconciled with our salaries and taken off before what we were entitled to was paid to us. We do not accept the charge of double salary.
“So they should give up further and better particulars of what they consider as double salary so we can assist them with the investigation,” he said.
Even though he had served from 2012 to 2016 as MP and Minister under the erstwhile administration, he said he had no knowledge of his salary until the presidential emolument committee was constituted in December 2016.
According to Article 71, the president will constitute a committee to determine the salaries and emoluments of all Article 71 Office holders- ie MPs, ministers of state, Superior Court judges and Commissioners of statutory institutions etc.
He said until that committee was set up in December 2016 few days before the ex-president John Mahama left office there was no way he could determine his salary.
When he was asked if he received more than he was due, the former Lands and Natural Resources Minister said: “Where your salary is so determined and you receive something more than your salary then you know that is not your salary. Until the determination of your salary whatever you receive from the paying officers is advanced payment. When finally your salary is established and all the aggregated payments made to you is more than your monthly salary your retirement benefits are used to liquidate that payment.”
He does not understand why he would be accused of stealing. “We see an element of criminal targeting,” he stated.
Source: Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
