Kwame Governs Agbodza
Members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament are outraged at the trial judge in the ongoing ambulance case involving their leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
According to them, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe has refused to grant a request from the lawyers of the Minority Leader for the leave of the court to enable him attend to “important parliamentary business,” which was the resumption of the House yesterday.
At a press briefing in Parliament yesterday, Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza stated that, in solidarity with Dr. Ato Forson, the NDC Minority Caucus would only be available for parliamentary business after court proceedings had concluded on the days scheduled for the hearing of the ongoing ambulance case trial.
“Last week, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe again rejected a similar request from the Parliament of Ghana to enable the Minority Leader to take part in a meeting of the Parliamentary Service Board which was due to take critical decisions ahead of the resumption of Parliament, among others,” he added.
He claimed that the NDC Caucus was left with no representation at this important meeting.
“Today, as Parliament commences its third meeting of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament, the Minority Leader is expected to deliver a resumption address, join parliamentary leadership to engage the press and undertake other important activities, as part of his legislative mandate.
“These are part of very important parliamentary duties exclusively reserved for the leader of a parliamentary caucus at the commencement of a parliamentary meeting,” he stated.
The Minority Chief Whip said the NDC Minority Caucus had taken notice of this worrying trend that shows an attempt by the trial judge to prevent the Minority Leader from performing his constitutional duties as an elected MP.
“In the light of the above, and the continuous persecution of the Minority Leader, the NDC Minority will continue to solidarise and stand by its Leader anytime he is due to appear in court,” he intimated.
Mr. Agbodza said the NDC Minority MPs reserve the right to apply all other tools available to them in their approach to business on the floor of Parliament.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House