The Ghana Police Service has Stated that in as much as they are committed to maintaining law and order in the country, they are however mindful not to overstep the limitations imposed on it by the law.
The Police Service stated this in a press release signed by ACP Kwesi Ofori, Director-General, Public Affairs in relation to a scuffle that broke in Ghana’s Parliament during debate of the 2022 budget.
“The legal position is that,the police have no authority to enter the Chamber of Parliament to undertake any law enforcement venture. Any such will be in contravention of the law of the country”, the police release stated.
According to the release, the Marshal and his team of officers have to deal with such situations in the Chamber and thereafter refer to the police for investigations and possible prosecution if the leadership of the House so decide.
It added that by Ghana’s constitutional arrangement, security issues, within the Chamber are responsibility of the Marshal to Parliament who takes instructions from the clerk of Parliament on such matters.
“We have , however initiated steps to engage the Clerk, Marshal and leadership of Parliament to fashion out more proactive way of supporting Parliament in this regard within the confines of the law of the country”, the police release added.
Read police press release below;
Background.
Chaos broke out in Parliament Monday night during consideration of the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) bill as Members of Parliament (MPs) engaged in a free for all fight as the House was forced to abandon proceedings on Monday.
Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, was compelled to preside over proceedings in the absence of the Speaker, Alban Bagbin who left after demands for the E-Levy bill to be tabled went unheeded.
The Minority called for a division when the Speaker ruled the Majority had won a voice vote to carry a motion for adoption of the report from the Finance Committee on the bill.
This resulted in the second Deputy Speaker suspending the House to the disagreements of the NDC MPs whose leader, Haruna Iddrisu, addressed the media to register his displeasure.
The Majority through its deputy leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin accused the Speaker Alban Bagbin of deliberately abandoning Parliament to enable the Minority to frustrate government business.
Sitting however resumed with first Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu presiding who announced he would partake in the voting even as he presided despite standing order 109 bars him from doing so.
This got the Minority agitated. Chaos then broke out when he handed over the chair to the second deputy speaker who had voted to enable him to vote too.
Source yagbonradioonline
