Three NPP Members of Parliament accused of breaching the the15-day absence rule of Parliament have been scheduled to appear before the Privileges Committee from Thursday, May 26, 2022.
The three including Members of Parliament for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey; Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong and Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo were hauled before the Committee for absenting themselves from parliamentary duties for more than 15 consecutive sittings as provided in the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Speaking to Accra-based Joy News ahead of the committee deliberations, Ranking Member on the Privileges Committee, George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan said the Committee has officially written to all three NPPs MPs and added that there will be a maiden meeting on Wednesday to outline the modalities of the hearings.
“25th, which is tomorrow, is when we will have the maiden meeting. 26th which is a Thursday is when we will invite the first MP in the name of Henry Quartey who will be the first person. At the moment, it will be an in-camera meeting, but obviously, tomorrow’s meeting will put all the modalities together as to exactly how we are going to conduct it. But the invitation has gone out as far as I am concerned.”
“The 27th which is a Friday is Adwoa Safo, the 31st which is the following Tuesday will be Kennedy Agyapong,” he said.
“As far as I am concerned, I have not been informed by the Clerk that they have said they can’t come or whatever, so I assume that if they have received the invite, then we expect to see them. Only Hon. Kennedy Agyapong is the one that I know has asked for permission which myself and the Chairman discussed and we obliged that he can have that,” he stated.
He also added that any MP who fails to appear before the Committee will be cited for contempt of the House.
“Well, that is contempt of the House, straightaway. If you do that you are further complicating your situation, because we are on obligation here to obey the law and the Constitution of this country and a Member of Parliament should know better and this is a very serious matter to do with your being here in the House or not,” he noted.
Source: The News Room