Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Clement Apaak has called for a full-blown parliamentary investigation into allegations of extortion leveled against the National Scholarship Secretariat.

The 2020 Auditor General’s report revealed a list of beneficiaries of GETFUND scholarships in 2019, which included some Ministers of State.

The list which resurfaced on social media has generated a new public outrage, as some persons have alleged the extortion of varied sums of money by some officials at the Scholarship Secretariat before the award of scholarships.

Speaking to JoyNews, Dr. Apaak said “Parliament must play a role because we need to have a much more transparent, clearer picture of the way candidates are selected and awarded the scholarship. What are the criteria? What are the determining factors? Who are those who make the decisions? Is there a deliberate formula to ensure, for example, regional balance, to perhaps even favour women compared to men? And all of these things are shrouded in secrecy and opacity.

"I think while there is no transparency in the way the processes ought to be conducted, this then makes it possible for unscrupulous personnel to take undue advantage and engage in all these acts of malfeasance that I have narrated. So I believe that Parliament also has a role to play.”

He promised that “when we resume, given the information that I have so far and the information that I am getting, in addition, I should be able to push for a bipartisan ad hoc committee to be set up to probe the entire regime of scholarship awards and the processes and procedures and the need for transparency and accountability as far as scholarships are concerned.”

Call for OSP Investigation

Dr. Clement Apaak wants the Special Prosecutor to take an interest in the matter. He said beyond the parliamentary probe, the level of public allegations of extortion levelled against some officers of the National Scholarship Secretariat must be investigated by the OSP.

“From the information so far, it has become very clear that there is some malfeasance. That the allegation of extortion, that the allegation of the sale of scholarships can no longer be deemed to be speculations. And that is why I have called, for example, that the Office of the Special Prosecutor needs to take a look at some of these allegations, and I believe people are willing to come forward.

"Once victims have started posting their experiences on social media with their names, it shouldn't be that difficult to track them down to come and offer testimony to the Special Prosecutor with regards to the malfeasance, the corruption, the kickbacks, the sale of scholarships going on in the scholarship secretariat. Because all of these are acts of criminality that ought not to be the case,” he said.