Story by: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Absentee Members of Parliament who have been accused of breaching the 15-day absence rule are expected to appear before the Privileges Committee today.
Contrary to the assurance given by the Ranking Member of the Committee that members may consider telecasting live hearings, the barrage of Journalists who thronged the venue were disallowed entry.
The three including Members of Parliament for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey; Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong and Sarah Adwoa Safo, Dome Kwabenya, were hauled before the Committee for absenting themselves from duties for more than 15 sittings as provided in the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House.
Mr Quartey is expected to face the Committee today, Adwoa Safo appears tomorrow, Friday, May 26, 2022, while Mr Ken Agyapong appears on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
Ahead of the hearing proceedings, Ranking Member of the Committee, Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, says the media would be blocked from covering the sittings since “the nature of evidence as we’ve been hinted might be on medical grounds…”
“And it is on that basis that the Privileges Committee came to that conclusion that it would be best that we give the opportunity for people to come and be able to discuss with us, charged with that responsibility on what the reasons were or the evidence,” he told the media.
“I’m telling you the committee’s decision is that we didn’t think that it will be appropriate to discuss what is likely to be health matters because we know that at least two of them or all three of them have been dealing with some medical issues and we thought that it will not be appropriate,” the Cape Coast South MP added.
