The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate suspension of the Ad Hoc investigation of the chaos that marred the Appointments Committee’s work last Thursday, citing concerns over bias and procedural breaches.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, February 7, 2025, Minority committee member Hon. Kwame Anyimadu Antwi stated that the caucus could not continue participating in what they described as a deeply flawed process.
“We are demanding the removal of the committee chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, due to his overt bias, prejudice, witness tampering, and conflict of interest. This is supposed to be an impartial and credible investigation, but under his leadership, it has been anything but that,” ” Anyimadu Antwi said.
Public hearings
The Minority took issue with the decision to hold public hearings, arguing that it jeopardized the investigation’s credibility. They pointed out that allowing witnesses to observe other testimonies undermined the integrity of their statements.
“On Tuesday, witnesses were seated together and called one by one, yet each had the opportunity to listen to others’ testimonies. This is not done in any credible investigative setting,” Anyimadu Antwi stated.
He argued that Speaker Alban Bagbin had initially instructed the committee to avoid public hearings, a directive the Minority had agreed with, only to later realize it was being ignored.
Accusations of prejudice
The Caucus also presented what they described as evidence of bias on the part of Chairman Emmanuel Bedzrah. They cited comments he allegedly made in media interviews, accusing the Minority Leader of attempting to sabotage the committee’s work.
“The Minority Leader instructed the clerk to halt the committee’s work. He does not want the hearings to continue,” Bedzrah reportedly said during a widely broadcast interview on February 5.
For the Minority, such statements demonstrated a clear lack of impartiality.
“The chairman has already made up his mind. His comments show that he has prejudged our leadership even before hearing our side,” Anyimadu Antwi argued.
The Minority also pointed to another interview in which Bedzrah allegedly declared that he had identified individuals responsible for the chaos and would draft a report implicating them unless they appeared before the committee.
“The chairman’s role is to facilitate an impartial investigation, not to assign guilt before hearing all the facts,” Antwi stated. “By making such comments, he has proven he cannot conduct a fair process.”
Adding to their concerns, the Minority accused the chairman of engaging in private conversations with witnesses before their official appearances, thereby undermining the credibility of the investigation.
“All engagements with witnesses should be transparent and conducted through official parliamentary channels. The chairman’s private meetings with witnesses raise serious questions about the fairness of this probe,” Anyimadu Antwi insisted.
Minority withdraws
The Minority announced their withdrawal from the committee’s proceedings in response to these issues,, stating they could not, in good conscience, continue participating in what they view as a compromised process.
“We have formally petitioned the Speaker to remove Emmanuel Bedzrah as chairman and reconstitute the committee with an impartial leader,” Anyimadu Antwi confirmed.
As tensions continue to rise in Parliament, all eyes are now on the Speaker’s response to the Minority’s demands. Whether the probe will continue under its current leadership remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, the Committee is expected to present its report to the Speaker in 10 days, that is something early next week.
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com