Adjaho petitions Parliament over court order

Accra, Oct.16, GNA- Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Deputy Minority Leader, on Thursday described as unconstitutional an attempt to serve him with a court order, while on duty in Parliament.

He has therefore petitioned Parliament to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee of the House.

The Deputy Minority Leader informed the House just before the commencement of Public Business that he was approached by a gentleman, with a court order on Wednesday while in Parliament in the presence of the Majority Chief Whip, Mr Kwabena Okerchiri. Referring to the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament, Mr Adjaho said he refused to take the writ because it was unconstitutional.

Standing Order 22 states that "no civil or criminal process coming from any court or place out of Parliament shall be served on, or executed in relation to, Mr Speaker, or Member or the Clerk to Parliament while he is on his way to, attending or returning from any proceedings of Parliament".

Alhaji Malik Yakubu, Second Deputy Speaker, who presided, subsequently referred the matter to the committee for study and report. Mr Adjaho who later interacted with journalists said he did not know the contents of the writ, but suspects that it was related to a case filed at the Ho High Court by one Mr Seth Aglaglo, an NDC activist. Mr Aglaglo has filed a writ restraining Mr Adjaho and the Electoral Commission from going ahead to file or receive his nomination as the NDC parliamentary candidate for the Ave Avenor Constituency in the Volta Region.

Mr Aglaglo, in a telephone interview with the GNA, said all attempts to serve Mr Adjaho with the court order outside Parliament had proved futile and therefore a bailiff had to go to Parliament on Wednesday to do so.

Meanwhile, Parliament could not conduct full business and adjourned after some minutes to allow members to go and file their papers for the elections.