Member of Parliament (MP) for the Sagnarigu Constituency in the Northern Region, Alhassan Bashir Fuseini says the police disregarding the Speaker of Parliament to file charges against Madina MP, Francis Xavier Sosu is not in conformity with the country’s laws.
According to him, the Police jumping the gun and completely disregarding the Speaker of Parliament’s letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take this action equals contempt of parliament.
The Speaker of Parliament refused a Police request to release the Madina MP, Francis Xavier Sosu, for interrogation.
In a letter from Parliament to the police, it said the Madina MP will be engaged in legislative proceedings.
The MP is a person of interest for police after he led a protest against bad roads in his constituency. In the protest, some of the protestors blocked roads and burnt tyres and allegedly destroyed some property. Police have insisted that these amounted to criminal activity and have tried to invite the MP to assist with investigations.
After the Speaker of Parliament refused the Police’s request, they (Police) have proceeded to formally filed charges, including causing damage to public property, against Francis Xavier Sosu in court over a demonstration he led in his constituency in Madina and he is expected to appear in court on November 8.
Addressing this latest development, A.B.A Fuseini stated, “If the Police administration takes this action in spite of the Speaker’s letter to the IGP then that is contempt of Parliament. The action the Police has taken is lawless and not in conformity of the law which the Police is expected to work with.”
“The Police cannot do what they are doing and need to respect the speaker and comply with the law because their current action connotes lawlessness, he told Happy98.9FM’s Don Kwabena Prah on the Epa Hoa Daben Political talk show.
He noted that Francis Xavier-Sosu (MP) has not been served any summons as this can only be done through the Speaker of Parliament. “So any other act is unlawful and cannot be complied with as the country is anchored in law and not lawlessness.”
The legislator revealed two senior Police Officers have been called before the Privileges Committee of Parliament over the matter and will suffer the consequences if they refuse to appear.