Prosecute us – Klutse Avedzi dares government

Minority member in parliament, James Klutse Avedzi, is daring government to prosecute its members if it feels strongly that they caused financial loss to the state in the controversial cash-for-seat saga.

This comes on the heels of assertions by Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremateng for the opposition legislators to be charged with causing financial loss for parliament’s recall on the cash-for-seat saga in which the ad hoc committee report pointed out that there was no extortion.

Mr Kyeremateng was exonerated by parliament’s ad hoc committee set up to investigate claims that his Ministry facilitated sale of access to the president during a recently held expatriate business awards.

The Minority walked out and did not participate in the debate on the report. In reaction to the exoneration and subsequent use of strong language to describe their walk out the Minority sat in silent protest during proceedings on Wednesday, February 7.

Speaking to Class news on the back of this, Mr Avedzi said their move was in reaction to the disrespect shown to their side and Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu by Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

He also wants the leadership of parliament to go ahead with any intended action to prosecute or sanction Minority legislators.

“They should go ahead and prosecute the minority. They should come and prosecute all of us,” he stated.

“Why do you allow, as a minister, a private investor to use the name of your ministry to use the name of the President to raise 2.6 million and you gave back 2.3 million to the private investor?...When we called for the bank statement of the private investor to see how that money was utilised they said no, that the Majority members of the committee supported them and they can’t bring it,” he noted.

He concluded that it was obvious that the views of the Minority are not important to the Majority and if “they think that parliament belongs to the Majority alone they can do the business of parliament without the input of the Minority they should do it”.

He added that if there are issues the Minority feels they need to comment or make an input they would and cautioned the Majority side to be “mindful that the views of the Minority are equally important”.

Meanwhile, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has mounted a defence of his utterances which has irked the Minority and led them to sit in silent protest during proceedings.