The Minority Caucus has formally petitioned the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, over what they describe as a “troubling pattern” of blatant disregard for constitutional protocols by national security agencies—particularly the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
In a strongly worded memorandum signed by Minority Chief Whip, Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the caucus condemned what they called an illegal and unconstitutional attempt by the NIB to arrest Hon. Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South and Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee.
The alleged arrest attempt, which took place at Hon. Fordjour’s residence on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, is said to have flagrantly violated the procedures governing interactions with Members of Parliament in investigative matters. Hon. Fordjour had recently gone public with serious allegations of cocaine trafficking and money laundering involving state actors—an act many within the Minority believe triggered the unlawful move.
“This arrest attempt was made in broad daylight at his private residence, clearly ignoring the protocols laid out under your leadership and enshrined in the Constitution to safeguard the independence and dignity of Parliament,” the memo read.
The Speaker had earlier issued a directive, most recently in a letter dated April 2, 2025, reminding the NIB and other security bodies of the binding obligations under Articles 117 and 118 of the 1992 Constitution. These provisions protect the privileges and immunities of MPs and stipulate the appropriate channels through which any legal or security matters involving them should be pursued.
The Minority Caucus insisted that this was “not merely a procedural lapse, but a direct assault on the authority of the Speaker and the institutional integrity of Parliament.” They warned that the pattern of non-compliance by security agencies poses a serious threat to democratic norms and the rule of law.
The memorandum also pointed to previous similar incidents involving the Hon. Member for Yabga/Kubori, Hon. Mustapha Ussif, and Hon. Kwame Asare Obeng of Gomoa Central, painting a picture of a disturbing trend of state overreach.
Calling on the Speaker to take decisive action, the Minority urged him to reaffirm his directives and convene an urgent engagement with national security leadership to ensure future dealings with MPs are conducted in strict accordance with constitutional requirements and with full respect for their roles as elected representatives.
“The sanctity of Parliament must be preserved. These actions are not just unlawful—they are dangerous,” the Caucus warned.