Censure Motion: Setting up of Ad hoc Committee was unconstitutional – AG
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, has described the eight-member AD-HOC Committee set up by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, as unconstitutional.
Parliament constituted an eight-member Ad Hoc Committee to investigate allegations levelled against the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, in the censure motion filed by the Minority Caucus in Parliament.
On the floor of Parliament yesterday, December 8, 2022, the Attorney-General expressed his opinion on the committee’s work and stated that his position or opinion was solely on the constitutionality of the ad hoc committee’s formation.
Mr. Dame explained that the committee failed to make the documents of the charges available to the Finance Minister, who was being accused in the motion, to have a fair idea of the allegations levelled against him to prepare well enough to answer the questions and also provide the relevant documents to prove his innocence or otherwise.
According to the Attorney-General, the Committee’s work violated the fundamental human rights of the Minister.
He further noted that the Committee also sacrificed justice and due process on the altar of expediency and convenience, which also amount to unconstitutional and rendered the exercise of the eight-member Ad Hoc Committee a nullity.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice insisted that there was a violation of due process against Mr. Ofori-Atta on the grounds that, the Co-Chairman of the Committee, who is from the Minority side, was part of those calling for the removal of the Finance Minister from office.
“So he himself being be part of the committee looking into the allegations amounted to a conflict of interest,” the AG posited.
Source: gbcghanaonline
