Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has accused Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alban S.K. Bagbin of overstepping his authority by unilaterally imposing sanctions on four Members of Parliament for misconduct.
The controversy stems from an incident at the Appointments Committee last on Thursday, January 30, 2025, where a heated altercation led to the destruction of gadgets and furniture in a chaotic brawl.
In response, Speaker Bagbin suspended the four MPs for two weeks and referred them to the Privileges Committee for investigation and report to the House.
Speaking on Joy News on Saturday, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu challenged the Speaker’s decision, arguing that neither the 1992 Constitution nor the Standing Orders of Parliament grants him the power to impose such punitive measures.
“The Speaker has not only jumped the gun but has gone outside the prescription of the law to impose his sanction. His attitude and conduct are questionable,” he asserted.
While the former Majority Leader agreed with the Speaker’s decision to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee under Order 342 of the new Standing Orders, he strongly opposed the direct suspension of the MPs.
“The Speaker is right to have availed himself of the imperative of Order 342 of the new Standing Orders,” he acknowledged, emphasizing that referring matters of privilege to the Committee of Privileges and Immunities was the proper procedure.
However, he maintained that suspending the MPs before the Committee’s determination was inappropriate and exceeded the Speaker’s constitutional mandate.
He condemned the Speaker’s use of discretionary powers and stressed they are part of the appropriate disciplinary mechanisms within Parliament.
