By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Feb. 7, GNA – A Parliamentary inquiry in Ghana’s Parliament has been marred by controversy, with the Minority Group calling for the removal of Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, the Chairman of an Ad-Hoc Committee probing a chaos during the public hearing of government appointees on Thursday January 30.
The group attributed their call to alleged concerns over bias, prejudice, witness tampering, and conflict of interest against Mr Bedzrah.
“The concerns stem from Bedzrah’s alleged prejudicial statements against the minority leader, which we believe compromise the committee’s credibility.
“We are concerned about the integrity of the investigation and the potential for compromised effectiveness and efficiency in the investigative process,” said Mr Anyimadu Antwi, a New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim Central.
He said: “Public hearings can lead to witnesses influencing each other’s testimony, which undermines the integrity of the investigation.”
The Minority Group at a Press Conference on Friday in Parliament House also took issue with the Speaker of Parliament’s Mr Alban Bagbin’s directive for the Committee to continue its work and submit recommendations, despite their concerns about the committee’s impartiality.
Mr Antwi insisted that the speaker must reconstitute the Committee to ensure a fair and credible investigation.
“… Furthermore, Bedzrah admitted to engaging in private conversations with potential witnesses before their appearance before the committee, raising concerns about witness tampering and the potential to shape testimony in a way that would compromise the investigation,” he said.
The Minority Group pointed out that Mr Bedzrah allegedly had a history of advocating for chaos and disorder in Parliamentary procedures, which they argued was allegedly in direct conflict with his responsibilities as chairman of the committee.
“To restore credibility to the committee’s work, we are urging the immediate replacement of Honorable Emmanuel Bedzrah with an impartial and untainted chair,” said Mr Antwi.
“… We emphasise the need for a fair, transparent, and unbiased process to ensure the integrity of the parliamentary inquiry,” he noted.
Confusion rocked Parliament’s Appointments Committee sitting when members of the Minority and Majority caucuses clashed over the vetting of Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, minister-designate for health, and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, designated for Foreign Affairs.
The disagreement began after 2200 hours when the vetting of the nominee for Transport, Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, had been concluded.
The Majority Caucus decided to vet two more ministerial nominees that night after having already vetted five others.
The Minority group on the Committee, however, proposed rescheduling the vetting to Friday, January 31, saying it was too late.
The Majority rejected that suggestion, insisting that the vetting should continue as scheduled.
It accused the Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Afenyo Markin, (Ranking Member on the Committee), of spending more time on nominees, hence the delay.
The situation escalated into chaos, disrupting the session as tables were broken and microphones destroyed in a tussle between some committee members.
The development led to the Speaker of Parliament establishing a seven-member committee, chaired by Mr Bedzrah, an NDC MP for Ho West to investigate the incidents in detail.
GNA