Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka
The Privileges Committee of Parliament chaired by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu sat yesterday to determine a case of contempt of parliament against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong who is said have described parliament as a‘cheap and useless’ institution.
The hearing was done in camera for the minority chief whip and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka who raised the issue in parliament to provide the committee with the evidence of the alleged insult by the Assin Central MP against the institution.
After appearing before the committee yesterday, the minority leader said he provided the committee members with video and audio evidence and expressed the belief that the evidences are concrete which the committee members may find indicting enough to reprimand the Assin Central MP.
“I appeared before the committee as a witness to substantiate all that I have said in parliament. I had to also present all the documents to them. Fortunately there is a video which the members have had the opportunity to watch. They asked me questions and I answered them. I have done my part and now it is up to the committee members to determine whether what I have presented to them amounts to contempt of parliament,” he said stressing that with the video and all the necessary documents put before the committee as well as the conduct of their colleague MP, he has the belief that the committee will come out with a determination to open up the matter for public discussion.
He said apart from the conduct and invectives of their colleague MP against parliament which were in breach of Orders 28 and 30 of parliament as well as Article 122 of the Constitution which talk about acts which are contemptuous of parliament, some of the members of the committee also raised the issue of the Assin Central MP’s attitude being also in breach of the Code of Conduct for MPs.
The Committee is expected to meet again on Tuesday, July 3 to also listen to the Assin Central MP’s defence.
Some of the minority members on the Privileges Committee are the MP for Bodi, Sampson Ahi, MP for Asunafo South, Eric Opoku, MP for Kpone Katamanso, Afotey-Agbo, MP for Ellembele, Kofi Armah-Buah and MP for Bongo, Edward Bawa as well as the ranking member and MP for Aowin, Mathias Ntow.
Some of the majority members of parliament on the committee are Dr Kwaku Afriyie, MP for Sefwi Wiawso, MP for Wulensi, Thomas Donkor Ogajah, MP for Tempane, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka and MP for Shama, Ato Panford with the vice chairman being the MP for Sekondi, Andrew Kofi Mercer.
The Assin Central MP, Ken Agyapong has denied the allegations leveled against him by the minority chief whip and has described the minority chief whip as a ‘dumb’ MP for not listening to his tape carefully before raising the matter
By Thomas Fosu Jnr