The Second Deputy Minority Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has challenged the Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to name publicly the Member of Parliament (MP) who allegedly accepted money to suppress a scandal involving the National Service Scheme (NSS).

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews' The Pulse on Tuesday, March 25, in response to the Attorney General’s claims, Ahmed Shaib dismissed the allegations as the “biggest joke” and questioned the credibility of such statements.

“Is the Attorney General seriously suggesting that an MP took money to kill a case in the media? Are you saying that if I have a matter to handle, I must go through an MP to bury it? That is ridiculous,” he stated.

The Weija-Gbawe MP dared the Attorney General to disclose the name of the MP in question, arguing that making vague accusations without evidence was irresponsible.

“If he can say someone is in Senegal or South Africa and claim they can’t be retrieved, why can’t he name this MP? This is completely uncalled for,” he said.

"You have the impudence to come and stand before the cameras and say that an MP... that's a joke. It is so uncalled for. Ghana is an intricately easy society. When people are in trouble. They sometimes lean on others, assuming, without admitting, that a matter for public consumption, there was a certain MP, and the MP that we are challenging it, I am daring him. You should come and name the MP and let us see how the MP got involved and why," he said.

• Read also: Former National Service CEO allegedly paid an MP to kill ‘ghost names’ scandal – AG

The controversy stems from revelations by Dr. Ayine that the Chief Executive of the National Service Scheme (NSS) allegedly paid a Ghanaian MP to suppress a scandal involving ghost names within the scheme.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Dr. Ayine disclosed that his office had obtained evidence of financial transactions involving top executives of the NSS, vendors, and private individuals, allegedly linked to an attempt to cover up fraudulent activities.

The Attorney General further alleged that in November 2024, the CEO of the NSS, along with others, made payments to a Ghanaian MP to bury the ghost names scandal in the media and publicly defend them.

“We also have evidence that in November 2024… the CEO of the National Service Scheme and others paid a Ghanaian MP to kill the story in the media and defend them. This is a developing story, and more details will emerge soon,” the Attorney General stated.

Mr Ahmed Shaib, however, maintained that such claims must be backed with concrete evidence rather than mere public statements.

“If the Attorney General has proof, let him present it. Otherwise, this is just another distraction,” he added