The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin has referred a complaint of contempt against the police brought by MP for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu, to the Privileges Committee.
The Committee is to investigate the complaint and report to the House for full consideration on the matter and make a determination whether the action complained of constitutes contempt of Parliament.
Mr Bagbin gave the directive in Parliament on Wednesday after the Madina legislator formerly submitted a complaint to the Speaker on an altercation he reportedly had with the police when he and his constituents embarked on a demonstration to demand the government to fix their roads.
The Speaker lamented how both sides of the House have consistently complained to his office about how they have been pursued by some personnel of the Ghana Police Service.
“I have on a number of occasions intervened to talk to the authorities and draw their attention to the law. Even some I have had to call the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in this matter.
“Apart from this, I myself have decided to come up with a very comprehensive statement on this matter and let people know that Members of Parliament have some special rise because of the peculiar nature of their positions, functions and duties,” he stated.
Mr Bagbin noted that it is not during his tenure of office that he will sit still, stare and allow those things to be flouted with impunity.
“It won’t happen. Let it be known that power of the people is stronger than the people in power” he cautioned.
Mr. Francis Sosu narrated to the House that the demonstration he led was done in accordance with the Public Order Act and that no public or private properties were destroyed and no casualties were recorded.
According to him, the protest was conducted with the agreement and protection of the police, which indeed picked the day for the event and yet after the match the Police led by the ACP Isaac Kojo Asante (Regional Operations Commander) and ACP Eric Winful (Divisional Commander/ Adenta- Abokobi Division) attempted to arrest him under the guise of police invitation.
“In flagrant breach of the laws of Ghana which relates to privileges of Members of Parliament, the officers mentioned herein, led the way and attempted to forcefully apprehend me in the presence of my constituents, an act which I verily believe amounts to contempt of Parliament.”
“They attempted to unlawfully arrest me when they had not even disclosed to me the reasons for such arrest. It took the intervention of the teeming youth to rescue me and led me to my vehicle where I finally sped off from the scene,” he said.
The MP described the conduct of the police as unprofessional and against Police Service instructions and an act that undermines the authority and dignity of Parliament.
He invoked Order 28 of the Standing Orders of Parliament against the officers for the attempted public arrest and manhandling, which acts, he contended, intended to impede and obstruct him from legitimately discharging his duties as an MP, and which is an affront to the House and called on the Speaker to use his High Office to cite the officers for contempt of Parliament.
