We Did Not Pay Evacuees – Minority Denies Influencing Ghanaians Evacuated from South Africa

The Minority in Parliament has denied allegations that it paid some Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa to speak against government.

Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, October 27, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, said the Minority at no point paid or coached any evacuee to make allegations against government.

His response follows claims made by some evacuees at a press conference on Monday, October 26, that some opposition members attempted to influence them to speak against government over their repatriation and allowances.

“Let me place on record that at no point in time did the Minority engage, pay, and/or convince any of these people,” Mr. Jinapor said.

According to him, the evacuees spoke out on their own accord after discovering inconsistencies between what they were supposed to receive and what they actually received.

The Minority has raised concerns about expenditure on the South Africa evacuation exercise, citing alleged duplicate names, payment sheets without signatures, missing receipts, and claims by some evacuees that they did not receive the full amounts recorded in their names.

Mr. Jinapor said the concerns remain unresolved despite explanations from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.He reiterated the Minority’s call for an independent audit of the evacuation exercise.

Report by Bernard K Dadzie Greater Accra Region