The Minority and Majority caucuses in Parliament have clashed over the police’s resolve to bring in Minority MP for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu, for questioning.
After failing to arrest the MP at a demonstration on October 25, 2021, police wrote to the Speaker of Parliament to release the MP.
The Speaker, Alban Bagbin, declined on grounds that the first attempt to arrest the MP and his alleged manhandling, was wrong to begin with. He said the MP enjoys constitutionally-backed immunity from such arrests.
The Speaker then referred the matter to the Privileges Committee of Parliament for further investigation.
Unhappy with the turn of events, the police stormed the church of the MP last Sunday, prompting speculations that they were bent on arresting the MP at all cost. But police said their men were there to gather intelligence, and not arrest him.
Police want to arrest the MP for alleged destruction of property during the demonstration to protest bad roads.
Police have proceeded to court to secure criminal summons against the MP, a move that has triggered a legal stalemate between the police and the judiciary on one side, and the legislature on the other.
READ ALSO: Majority criticises Speaker for refusing to release Madina MP Francis Sosu to police
Already, the Parliamentary Service has condemned the police for breaking the law in its previous attempts to bring in the MP.
Unhappy with the brouhaha, the Majority in Parliament said the Speaker’s stance on the matter is a departure from established practices and seems to be undermining the rule of law.
In a statement on Thursday, the Majority said the refusal of the Speaker to release the legislator to assist with investigations into alleged offences is of extreme concern.
It said the Speaker’s handling of the case, which is troubling, was a shift away from what his predecessors had done in similar cases in the past.
In response, the Minority in Parliament accused the Majority Caucus of deliberately ignoring the facts surrounding the attempted arrest of the Member of Parliament for Madina, and the Speaker’s handling of same.
READ ALSO: Charges against Madina MP are far-fetched - Mpraeso MP
The Minority’s statement on Thursday also said the Speaker was only trying to ensure that the Police follows standard procedures in inviting the MP for questioning.
“The police attempted to arrest him on Sunday 31st October 2021 while he was worshiping in church. This was in spite of the fact that the police wrote to the Speaker on 27th October 2021 and the Speaker replied and reiterated the fact that there is a procedure that is to be followed with respect to inviting a Member of Parliament to assist in investigations and until that procedure is followed, he as Speaker would not entertain their request. Criminal summons was subsequently issued against the MP with charges to appear before the court on 8th November 2021
“The Majority Leadership is being mischievous and disingenuous by ignoring the fact that the Police refused to comply with the established protocols of dealing with matters affecting MPs by not, first of all, contacting the Speaker who would have then made the necessary arrangements for them to meet with the affected MP,” the statement said.
The Minority, in their statement signed by their leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said the Majority’s statement shows an attempt to undermine the authority of the Speaker.
“The Minority Leadership notes with great consternation and disappointment the Press Statement by the Majority Leadership. The Minority Leadership considers the Press Statement as an attempt to undermine the Authority of the Rt. Hon Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin and weaken the Institution of Parliament. We are a country governed by law, and we the Minority will always uphold the cardinal principles of natural justice guaranteed under the Constitution. We will continue to uphold and respect those democratic values and ethos.”
The matter has also divided the views of lawyers and legal scholars.