'I’m sorry, I went too far' - Casely-Hayford

A leading member of pressure group OccupyGhana, Sydney Casely-Hayford, has apologised to the country’s lawmakers for some derogatory comments he made against them for which contempt charges loom.

“I indeed went over the top, I do apologise for that. I used some language which I suppose I should not have used. I unreservedly apologise, because in mature conversation when you say something that you offend somebody and you are prompted, the least you can do is to say ‘I’m sorry’. It wasn’t meant to be offensive, this is where I was going and if it came out the wrong way then I do apologise sincerely, I have no reservation doing that,” he said.

Kumbungu MP Ras Mubarak was the lawmaker who requested the Speaker to haul Mr Casely-Hayford before the house.

According to him, Mr Hayford said the following about current and past MPs:

(1) “These people are sitting there, spending money like crazy, making stupid decisions and passing stupid laws...”

(2) “All they think of is ‘let's pass this thing quickly, let's go to Senchi Royal, let's go and sit there and chill and come back…’"

(3) “They don't read the papers that they are given, they don't think through what the challenges are...”

(4) “The first thing I will do if I had the opportunity is to break down parliament…”

But Mr Casely-Hayford in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM apologised saying he went over the top.