Adjaho's ruling on Ford saga ‘capricious' – Minority

The Minority in parliament has described the Speaker of Parliament’s decision to throw out a motion to have President Mahama investigated for receiving a Ford SUV gift as “capricious, whimsical”.

Mr Edward Doe Adjaho threw out a motion of inquiry filed by Minority legislators on Thursday, 1 September.

In dismissing the motion, Mr Adjaho told the house that a search by the clerk of parliament indicated that CHRAJ had received three separate petitions concerning the same issue involving the Ford gift and was looking into the matter.

The president’s acceptance of the SUV from Burkinabe contractor Djibril Kanazoe, who was in turn awarded numerous contracts by the government of Ghana, was the issue of contention which the minority felt was wrong on the president’s part.

Mr Adjaho, however, told the house that: “After a careful study of the correspondence from CHRAJ, I have come to the conclusion that the matter is not different in material, in particular from the matter under investigation by CHRAJ.”

He indicated that Article 287 of the constitution of Ghana gave CHRAJ the power to investigate matters relating to the breach of conduct involving public officers, for which reason it would not be proper for parliament to take up an issue already being investigated by another body mandated by the constitution to perform such duties.

“It is my view, therefore, that CHRAJ is the institution with exclusive constitutional authority to deal with all relevant matters relating to the breach of conduct of public officers including the matter involving the Ford Expedition vehicle,” he explained.

But Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who addressed a press conference shortly after the house suspended its sitting, described the verdict as impulsive considering the fact that the house did not even debate why parliament had to summon legislators for an urgent gathering.

For them, it was unfair for the Speaker to have dismissed the motion without considering the merits and affording the president the opportunity to clear himself if he is really innocent in the matter.

He disclosed that Minority would meet and discuss their next line of action which they believe will be in the interest of the nation.