GHANA- A Deputy Minister for Information, James Agyenim Boateng has denied claims by Minority MPs and a section of the public that former Deputy Minister, O.B Amoah was on Sunday arrested illegally.
He says parliamentary immunity is not absolute.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party MPs are engaging in double standards which are aimed at misleading the public because it is not the first time a sitting MP has been arrested without notifying the Speaker of Parliament.
The minority NPP MPs today boycotted a meeting in Parliament between the House and a delegation from the United Kingdom following the arrest of their colleague O.B. Amoah which they said was without the knowledge of the house.
The MPs had also served notice they would boycot parliamentary proceedings outright if their colleague was not released immediately.
Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul who confirmed the decision of the Minority expressed grief for the arrest of O.B. Amoah and pledged full support for him.
Osei Bonsu Amoah was on Sunday arrested in connection with the controversial award of GhS51 million judgment debt to embattled businessman Alfred Woyome.
He was picked up at his Parakou Estates residence, near Dome, and was whisked away to the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters. He was subsequently charged with corruption and willfully causing financial loss to the state.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii-Sen on Monday, James Agyenim Boateng noted that the NPP were pursuing an dishonest agenda because some MPs in the past had been arrested under similar circumstances.
“Are the minority and NPP claiming that if you are an MP and commit murder, you will not be arrested? No way. They should spare us”.
“What is the minority in parliament and NPP talking about, Hon E.T. Mensah was in the past arrested without the notice of the Speaker of Parliament and without any basis. They should spare us this double standards and intellectual dishonesty”.
He questioned the basis of NPP crying foul over the arrest of the O.B. Amoah while they called for more arrests after Alfred Woyome was picked up by the police. “When Woyome was arrested, the NPP hailed it and called for more arrests thinking it will not get to their turn but the ball is now in their court. They rather called for more arrests so why the crying now.”
He said the Woyome saga is a concern to all Ghanaians and that the government would leave no stone unturned until it is resolved.
”The NPP should continue singing Woyome, Woyome; their new track. Those singing the bass and tenor should continue. The result of the Woyome song is the arrest of O.B. Amoah. They should continue to be happy like how they are enjoying their new track (the Woyome song)”.
He noted that O.B. Amoah is a suspect and not a criminal so his sympathizers must exercise restraint as the investigations continue.”
source:ghanaweb.com
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