The Kaneshie District Court in Accra has been informed for the second time that Member of Parliament for Madina Francis-Xavier Sosu is still not back from the United States of America.
A response from the Deputy Clerk of Parliament Eric Owusu Mensah to the court dated November 10 stated that the legislator is in America.
This was because the police have received a letter from the Speaker of Parliament indicating that Lawyer Sosu is out of the country on Parliamentary duties.
“I have been directed by the Rt. Hon. Speaker to bring to the attention of the Hon. Court that, the Hon. Member is attending the Proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the 1st Session of the 8th Parliament which commenced on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 and is also currently representing Parliament and the country in a conference in the United States of America,” the letter from the Deputy Clerk of Parliament stated.
“Pursuant to Article 117 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic, I am unable to bring the service to the attention of the Member of Parliament as requested,” the letter stated
In court on Tuesday, November 16, Assistant Superintendent of Police Sylvester Asare told the court that, they had no indication if the MP is in the country.
It was at this point that, a portion of the content of the said letter was read in court by the Magistrate Kofi Oheneba-Kuffour.
Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, Counsel for Lawyer Sosu said he has had interaction with his client and he will be back in the country by next week.
The case has been adjourned to November 29, 2021.
Lawyer Sosu who was expected to appear before the court today after he was absent on November 8, 2021, to answer to criminal charges leveled against him by the Ghana Police Service was absent.
The Ghana Police Service secured a criminal summons for the Madina MP to appear in court on November 8, 2021, but he was said to be out of town.
Background
The police charges follow several failed attempts by the police to arrest the legislator alleged to have breached the law during a recent demonstration by residents of Oyarifa and its environs.
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.
Mr. Sosu said some police officers tried to arrest him during the protest.
Police were also reported to have tried to arrest Mr. Sosu while he was at Church on Sunday though the Police administration has denied the reports.
Though protestors had blocked roads during the protest, Mr. Sosu said there was no basis for any arrest because he had followed due process in organising the protest.
After the first attempt to arrest him, Mr. Sosu filed a formal complaint in Parliament accusing two police commanding officers of contempt of Parliament.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, referred the complaint against the two police personnel to the Privileges Committee of Parliament.
The officers cited in Mr. Sosu’s complaint were ACP Isaac Kojo Asante, the Greater Accra Regional Operations Commander, and ACP Eric Winful, the Adentan Divisional Commander.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com/Murtala Inusah
