A former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ken Dzirasah has called on the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo to intervene in the ongoing tussle between the judiciary and legislature over the privileges of Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, who is standing trial before the court.
There is an ongoing tussle over whether Mr. Ayariga should be compelled to go to court while parliament was sitting.
The Judge in the case insists that Ayariga must in court at every sitting.
The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, however, ruled that the Bawku Central MP could only honour court invitations when he is not undertaking any parliamentary activity.
Speaking to the media on the ongoing case, Mr. Dzirasah said all stakeholders involved in the matter at hand will have to work together to find a way forward.
“What I will suggest is that the Chief Justice intervenes in this matter and let the charges against Mahama Ayariga be kept hanging until certain details are settled and then when there is a mutuality in the matter then the whole judicial process can continue otherwise this back and forth will not help anybody.”
I’ll go to the Supreme Court
Mr. Ayariga intends to go to the Supreme Court to seek an interpretation of the constitution of the privileges of MPs and whether he is obliged to honour a court invitation on a day of parliamentary sitting.
“I will always go but the days that they say No, come on Tuesday when parliament is sitting, I’ll raise a constitutional objection and then we will refer the matter to the supreme court and the court will rule. If the judge wants us to sit on Saturday or Sunday I will come,” he said in a Citi News interview.
Speaker writes to the court
The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye has also urged he Accra High Court to respect the privileges of Mr. Ayariga.
In a letter addressed the Registrar of the Court, Prof. Oquaye said while no one is above the law, he expects the court to honour the privileges the constitution accords to Mahama Ayariga who is standing trial before the court.
Source: citinewsroom.com