Foreign Minister criticised on termination of privileges to rights group

Accra, April 21, GNA - The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), a pressure group, on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction about the way and manner in which diplomatic privileges accorded the Africa Legal Aid, an international organisation with headquarters in Accra, was terminated.

"It is regrettable that in spite of our complaints against Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, Minister of Foreign Affairs, he has not departed from his arbitrary ways upon being approved by Parliament as a Minister for Foreign Affairs," Mr Kwabena Bomfeh, Spokesperson for AFAG, said at a press conference in Accra.

He noted that the conduct was a violation of due process and against the rule of law.

"If Alhaji Mumuni can, without providing any reason whatsoever, terminate the entire agreement between the government of Ghana and an international human rights agency, then one shudders to think of the extent to which he can abuse his powers as foreign minister in the nation's relations with other international organizations."

Mr Bomfeh said the terms of reference for the agency's diplomatic privileges in the agreement stated that any dispute between the parties shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with Act 38 under the Arbitration Act of 1961.

"It is pertinent to note that no dispute had occurred between the government of Ghana and Africa Legal Aid to warrant the termination of the provisions of the agreement," he added.

Mr Bomfeh said the action by the Foreign Minister was a blatant disregard for mandatory provisions of the agreement and called on him as a matter of urgency to resign.