The Majority in Parliament has challenged the Minority to formally initiate a parliamentary inquiry into recent cocaine seizures linked to Ghana, assuring that it will support the move if the proposed investigation has merit.
Majority Leader James Agalga, speaking at a leaders’ media briefing ahead of the resumption of Parliament for the Third Meeting of the Second Session on Tuesday, said the governing side is prepared to support the use of parliamentary oversight mechanisms to examine the matter.
According to him, the Majority Caucus would not oppose a genuine attempt to scrutinise the activities of state institutions responsible for combating narcotics trafficking.
Also read: Minority turns up heat on Mahama over repeated cocaine seizures abroad linked to Ghana
“Where there is merit, we won’t run away. We may even support them to ensure that the appropriate parliamentary tools are deployed for scrutiny,” he said.
His remarks follow calls by the Minority for Parliament to investigate a series of cocaine seizures involving Ghanaian nationals, businesses and routes, including incidents reported in other countries.
The Minority has questioned whether the seizures point to weaknesses in Ghana’s security and regulatory systems and has called for accountability from officials responsible for preventing the country from being used as a transit point for narcotics.
The Deputy Majority Leader, however, indicated that any proposed inquiry must follow parliamentary procedure and receive the necessary approval from the Speaker.
He cautioned against confusing parliamentary oversight with criminal investigations, arguing that Parliament does not have the mandate to investigate criminal offences or prosecute suspects.