Kofi Bentil, the legal representative of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has firmly asserted that it is not within Parliament’s purview to investigate allegations of murder.
This statement follows recent developments involving a special parliamentary committee formed to investigate an alleged plot to oust the IGP.
The Chairman of the special committee, Samuel Atta Akyea, stated that the committee had to delve into allegations of extrajudicial killings made against the IGP to complete its report.
He noted that the sensitive nature of these issues pertaining to national security necessitated an in-camera hearing.
Consequently, Atta Akyea refused to sign the committee’s report.
During an interview on JoyFM’s Newsnight on Thursday, July 4, Bentil dismissed the extrajudicial killing allegations as baseless and inappropriate for such a committee to handle.
“If there has been an extrajudicial killing, is this the kind of committee that is supposed to be dealing with it?” Bentil questioned.
He emphasized that such severe allegations involving criminal conduct and international dimensions should not be handled by a parliamentary committee.
“You are talking about murder, criminal conduct of the highest level involving international dimensions. This is not the way to handle it,” Bentil stressed.
Bentil argued that the Chairman’s efforts to implicate the IGP would not succeed. He underscored the impossibility of Parliament investigating a murder, especially one involving high-ranking state officials and international aspects.
“There can be no stretch of interpretation which brings the Speaker’s remit to the point where Parliament is given the power to set up a sub-committee to investigate the murder of an international dimension involving high officials of State. It is not possible. Parliament cannot investigate murder,” he insisted.
Reflecting on the Speaker’s directive for the committee to revise its report, Bentil expressed surprise.
“I am not sure what really has to be done,” he admitted, highlighting that according to parliamentary rules, Atta Akyea’s refusal to sign the report does not invalidate it.
Bentil further questioned the underlying motives behind the Chairman’s actions.
“My worry is what else they are looking for and whether this is all just about Atta Akyea’s refusal to participate?” he pondered.
He suggested that the Chairman might be pursuing a “predetermined outcome” and taking extensive measures to achieve it.
Bentil also expressed concern that the renewed directive to complete the committee’s work could lead to a flood of irrelevant allegations.
“This is not the forum for addressing such serious charges,” he concluded.
ghanaweb.com
