Interior Minister, Henry Quartey has admitted approaching minority members of parliament over the planned recruitment by the security agencies as his way of helping them get their constituents recruited and not to bribe them.
“It was in a close meeting by members of parliament, it was not like going to them one by one and saying bring them [your constituents] let me recruit them. That was not it. After a meeting with the defense and interior committee and we had agreed on a roadmap, that was when I approached them. I just wanted to help them get their people in as their colleague, I did not bribe them, it was not intended to bribe them,” Henry Quartey told Joy News on Thursday.
The Minister who has come under intense public scrutiny over his poor handling of the recruitment process was reacting to allegations of bribery against him by Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the NDC Chairman.
Mr Asiedu Nketia alleged that Henry Quartey made the offer of Protocol slots to silence NDC legislators who were opposing the clandestine recruitment of about 10,000 NPP party foot soldiers into the various security services including Immigration, Police, Prisons and Fire Services.
It will be recalled that in May 2024, Mr Quartey threatened he was going to name opposition lawmakers who had given him names of their constituents for protocol slots.
“They also come to us to always beg for their people to be recruited. They shouldn’t go that line. If they dare me, I will mention their names and the people they brought. I’m saying it on authority; if they dare me,” he told Adom FM.
Source: Daily Mail GH