Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has been dragged to the Privileges Committee for utterances deemed to have blighted the reputation of the House.
Mr. Agyapong is said to have made statements on his private television station that compelled Joy FM of the Multimedia Group to lodge a formal complaint to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
The referral followed an application made through a motion by Member for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini on Wednesday, praying the Speaker to refer the member to the Privileges Committee for misconduct.
Moving the motion, Mr. Suhuyini prayed the Speaker to exercise his powers under Standing Order 27 of the House and refer Kennedy Ohene Agyapong whose acts, he said, continues to affront the dignity of Parliament and bring it into disrepute.
The Members conduct, he said, offends the dignity of Parliament as captured under Order 30 (2) which reads; “The following acts or conduct shall constitute a breach of privilege or contempt of Parliament… (2) Any act or omission, which affronts the dignity of Parliament or which tends either directly or indirectly to bring the name of Parliament into disrepute.”
Mr. Suhuyini averred that the basis of his motion is the conduct of Mr. Agyapong on his own television network, which has caused another network to refer him to the CID for investigation.
According to him, in a letter submitted to the CID by Multimedia Group, the Assin Central MP was referred to as the Chairman of the Committee on Defence and Interior.
He argued that the fact that the complaint referred to a Committee Chairman of the House calls for the attention of Parliament, especially for him to go public and urge that the President and the Commander in Chief beat people and physically assault people.
“He says and I quote, ‘If you were the President of Ghana you would have ensured that the said journalist Erastus Asare Donkor is beaten mercilessly, he said.”
According to Mr. Suhuyini, his call for Erastus Asare Donkor to be beaten is very serious in view of the fact that a similar utterance in the past led to the identity of investigative journalist, Ahmed Suale being compromised leading to his eventual murder not long after.
“Mr. Speaker, as a journalist I feel obliged to draw the House’s attention to this conduct of an honourable colleague of this House, which in my view brings this House into disrepute.”
“And So Mr. Speaker, I urge you to exercise your powers under Order 27 and refer this conduct of the member, which is becoming unacceptable to the Privileges Committee to ascertain the veracity of the comments that were made and recommend sanctions if possible that will act as a deterrent for future outings of the honourable member and other members who may be tempted to act like him,” he stated.
Speaker Alban SK Bagbin indicated that hearing the matter for the first time, he is compelled to refer it to the Privileges Committee to investigate it and submit a report to the House.
The House, he said, will then decide whether Hon. Ken Agyapong is contemptuous of the House.
“In the circumstances, I direct that this matter be referred to the Committee on Privileges for investigation and report to the House. I so direct,” he said.
