Okudzeto Ablakwa: Criminals may soon vie for Parliament if…

February 21, 2012 No Comments

A deputy Information Minister is warning of dire consequences if the current practice of parliamentary immunity is not checked.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that criminals may soon vie for the position of Members of Parliament to escape arrest and to run from justice.

His comments follow heavy criticisms by the minority against the arrest and detention of the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Aburi-Nsawam, OB Amoah over the controversial 51 million cedis judgement debt paid to business man Alfred Woyome.

The Minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu at a press conference on Tuesday stated that “there was no credible reason for the arrest of OB Amoah.”

He said the police were embarking on a “baseless and fruitless enterprise” describing the arrest as “manifestly and patently an exercise in political equalization” by the government.

“…We question today the modus of the arrest of a colleague Member of Parliament. We question the capricious use of power, notwithstanding we in the minority will not be intimidated at all by this latest resort.

“We will cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to expose evil in order that the good people of this country will not lose hope in the democratic governance.”

But in an interview with Joy News” Dzifa Bampoh, Samuel Okudzeto said the utterances of the Minority leader could only “incur the wrath of the good people of this country.”

“Very soon if care is not taken all kinds of criminals will contest for Parliament so that they can buy immunity and abuse the limited immunities that Members of Parliament have,” he added.

He was convinced if Eric Amoateng, who is serving his term in the US for narcotic related offences, had been arrested in Ghana he would have claimed the alibi of being on parliamentary duties to escape arrest.

“We thank God Eric Amoateng was arrested in America,” he stated.

He said for a party notorious for arresting former Members of Parliament ?Dan Abodakpi, ET Mensah and Twumasi Appiah in the past- it was hypocritical for them to be crying foul now that their colleague has been arrested.

When he was reminded that the arresting authority only needed to inform the Speaker of Parliament in writing before arresting an MP, the deputy Minister noted that cannot be practical.

He said the NPP must allow the state institutions to work and stop dictating to them who must and must not be arrested for interrogation.

 

From: Myjoyonline.com

 

Politics