Speaker: How can I use the Attorney General as my lawyer when he’s taken a different position from my position?

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, accused Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin of breaking procurement laws by employing Thaddeus Sory as a lawyer for the Parliamentary Service without the necessary permits. Bagbin has reacted to these accusations.

Mr. Dame cited a letter from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) that denied a request to hire Thaddeus Sory's firm, Sory@Law, as the sole retained solicitor for Parliament.

"The Attorney General constantly seeks PPA clearance before hiring a lawyer to represent the government in matters outside the nation, in foreign courts. According to Mr. Dame, even the Chief Justice, the former Chief Justice, who was employing Thaddeus Sory, needed PPA approval.

"A breach of the PPA Act constitutes a crime, and my contention is that you cannot use a crime to defend a clear, unconstitutional action of yours," he added, asserting that the Speaker's actions violated the PPA Act. Therefore, it is incorrect that you are committing an unlawful conduct and that you are exploiting the commission of a crime to further that unconstitutionality.

However, the Speaker made fun of Godfred Yeboah Dame in his initial reaction to the matter during a news conference on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

He promised to meet with the AG and express his peace of mind, emphasising the importance of carefully reading the letter given that parliament and the office of speaker are separate.

He said the Speaker is a party to a matter pending before the Supreme Court and not parliament, and ‘’so as Speaker, when the Attorney General is taking a different position from my position, I should still contract him as my counsel? I will leave it that way because I will meet the Attorney General and I will tell him my peace of mind on some legal issues and pronouncements he made at the Supreme Court. Attorney Generals must be respected as learnt, but it should not be part of what Obama referred to. Not me, it will not work’’.

Source : Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana