Activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has walked back his controversial bribery allegation against Parliament’s Appointments Committee, clarifying that his remarks were misinterpreted.
His legal counsel, Nana Ato Dadzie, has officially apologized on his behalf, emphasizing that the statement was not meant to directly accuse members of the Committee of corruption.
The controversy erupted after Barker-Vormawor made a cryptic social media post, stating, “So all the monies the ministerial appointees are being asked to pay to the Appointments Committee just to get approved, are those ones not affected by ORAL? Strange Republic.”
The post, which appeared to directly reference the parliamentary vetting process, triggered public outrage and demands for accountability.
However, appearing before the Appointments Committee on Wednesday, January 29, Nana Ato Dadzie sought to douse the flames, explaining that Barker-Vormawor’s words were taken out of context.
“The statement was never intended to accuse the Appointments Committee of bribery. It was meant to highlight broader concerns about transparency in governance,” he stated.
Dadzie further argued that the activist’s words carried a double meaning and should not be seen as a direct attack on Parliament.
“It was a whistleblower’s effort to draw attention to issues of integrity in our political system, not an indictment of the Committee’s work,” he added.
