Parliament will cite ACP Akwasi Ofori for contempt – Haruna Iddrisu

Leader of the National Democratic Congress caucus in parliament, Haruna Iddrisu says Greater Accra Regional Police Operations Commander, ACP Kwasi Ofori will have to come and explain to the house what business he and his men had in the chamber of parliament during the election of a Speaker for Ghana’s 8th Parliament.

Mr Iddrisu who was speaking in a Joynews interview on reports of a police invitation to him and some MPs in his party for marching to the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in defiance of the Public Order Act, said he is yet to cite an official communication to that effect.

According to the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, he and his colleagues were engaged in a lawful act, however, having seen the Regional Police Operations Commander with some of his officers in the house, he believes he is rather the one that needs to answer for what could be a possible case of contempt against parliament.

“We proceeded on a procession in accordance with Article 21 of the constitution. What I also do know now is that ACP Ofori, I also saw him in the Chamber on the night of January 7, he also will probably have to come and explain to parliament what he and his men were doing in the Chamber and on the floor of Parliament at that material moment. Because that is also in contempt of Parliament,” he explained.

Asked if he was calling for the ACP to face Parliament’s Privileges Committee, Mr Iddrisu answered in the affirmative, indicating that ACP Ofori must demonstrate that he indeed had the authority and invitation of the Marshal of Parliament who is in charge of security in the house before he and his men entered the chamber.

“He will have to explain the circumstances in which he got to the chamber of parliament. The armed military officers will have to explain how they got to the chamber of parliament and why they should also not be hauled for privileges and contempt of parliament. What happened was a sacrilege. Our democracy came to a standstill with that interference,” he stated.

He, however, stressed that if any process should come up against himself and his colleagues for embarking on a walk to present a petition on the 2020 general elections to the Electoral Commissioner, they will be ready to challenge such in court.

“We are law-abiding, we will challenge the process in court and we will get our lawyers at it,” Mr Iddrisu said.