Lawyer explains why the court is after 20 NDC MPs

Lawyer and Law Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Dr. Kweku Agyemang Budu has opined that it is likely that NDC MPs were charged with unlawful assembly because of the tensed atmosphere that characterized the post-election period.

In an interview with Samuel Eshun, he implied that the charge served to the NDC MPs was likely to reduce post-election tensions.

“I feel the summons have been issued because of the atmosphere in which we find ourselves and the fact that we have never had such a close election. We have had a close parliament but we have never had it so close like this. So I think that has contributed to this event,” he said.

He furthered that people must understand that being served or charged for a crime does not necessarily make you guilty of the crime.

Twenty Members of Parliament in the Minority Caucus were charged with unlawful assembly following their march to the Electoral Commission’s (EC) head office in Accra on Tuesday, December 22, 2020.

The MPs charged are Haruna Iddrisu, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Samuel George, John Abdulai Jinapor, Rockson Defiamekpor, Ras Mubarak, Mutawakilu Adam, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, A.B. Fuseini, Kwabena Minta Akando, Yusif Issaka Jaja, Isaac Adongo, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, James Klutse Avedzi, James Agalga, Collins Dauda, Abdul Rashid Pelpuo, Richard Quashigah and Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings.

The NDC MPs were expected to appear before the Accra Magistrate Court on January 4, 2021. However, the MPs failed to show up in court as they stated that they have not been served with any summon.

Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to 19th January 2021.