Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Hon. Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, has been formally arraigned before the court in connection with the attack on the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) task force at Bronikrom.
Majority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, disclosed in Parliament on Tuesday, reinforcing the Speaker’s earlier condemnation of the attack and his assurance that no Member of Parliament would be shielded from the rule of law.
The Majority Leader explained that he personally facilitated the Asutifi North MP’s cooperation with the Ghana Police Service.
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“Yesterday, I got a call from the Minister for the Interior… that the IGP needed a member for interrogation. I invited the member, he came to my office, and we scheduled that this morning he should be sent to the CID headquarters for processing,” Mr. Ayariga stated.
He confirmed that the MP, accompanied by the Majority Chief Whip and his lawyer, reported to the CID headquarters on Tuesday morning and was subsequently taken to court.
The Majority Leader reiterated Parliament’s unwavering commitment to the rule of law, emphasizing that legislators are not exempt from accountability for their actions.
“As Members of Parliament, we do not consider ourselves above the law. We are always ready to be held accountable for our actions and inactions,” he asserted.
Hon. Ayariga stressed the responsibility inherent in their lawmaking role: “We pass the laws defining crimes, we fund law enforcement agencies… So we, too, must be ready to face the law when necessary.”
While confirming the legal process is underway, Hon. Ayariga also disclosed that the Asutifi North MP has flatly denied allegations of instigating community members against the NAIMOS task force.
The Majority Leader assured the Speaker and the public that Parliament will not interfere in the ongoing investigation, stating, “He has handed himself over to the police, he has been taken to court, and we are ready to go through all the legal processes.”
This development follows Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin’s earlier warning that parliamentary privileges are not absolute and do not grant immunity from criminal accountability under the 1992 Constitution.
The Asutifi MP has been accused of inciting a mob to attack the NAIMOS task force after they pounced on a galamsey site and arrested several people.