Special Prosecutor bill: Government breaching constitution – Minority

The Minority in Parliament has accused government of violating Article 106 of the 1992 Constitution as it laid the Office of Special Prosecutor bill in Parliament for consideration and approval on Tuesday July 18.

According to the Members of Parliament of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the laying of the bill breaches Article 106 (2b) of the constitution which states that any bill that will be laid in Parliament should be gazetted at least 14 days before the date of its introduction in the House.

A former Deputy Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine, in bringing the anomaly to the attention of the House, said his checks from the Assembly Press indicated that the bill had not gone through the constitutional processes.

Speaking to Class News, Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga questioned why the bill was being rushed through Parliament without recourse to the law.

But Deputy Attorney General Joseph Dindiok Kpemka disagreed. In his view, government followed due course in presenting the bill to the House as he further suggested a seven-year term of office for the Special Prosecutor.

Speaker of Parliament Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye later referred the bill to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for consideration and report.