Minority wants Special Prosecutor bill withdrawn

The Minority in Parliament is calling for the withdrawal of the Office of the Special Prosecutor bill over what it said is the pathetic treatment of the bill.

The opposition lawmakers said 24 hours after the bill was laid before the House, MPs were yet to be served with copies to make for rigorous deliberation.

Speaking before Parliament Wednesday, Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak said the absence of copies of the bill flouts Order 75 of the House’s Standing Orders.

Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak

“As soon as sufficient copies of the paper for distribution to members have been received in the office of the Clerk, notice of the presentation of the paper may be placed on the order paper and as soon as Mr Speaker announces papers of presentation, the paper shall be deemed to have been laid,” he quoted Order 75.

“This is the minimum requirement for any paper,” Mr Mubarak said, adding it was not followed when the bill was laid Tuesday.

The government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is seeking to dredge the country of corruption with the setting up of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

The creation of the Office forms part of his anti-corruption fight to bring dignity to the country’s governance.

But efforts to get the bill passed might suffer some delay if it is withdrawn as demanded by the minority.

Mr Mubarak said the bill should be deemed as “having not been laid” because it falls short of the requirement.

Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu

But Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu retorted the absence of copies is not sufficient for the bill to be dismissed.

He said contrary to the minority’s argument, copies of the bill were sent to the Clerk of Parliament by government per Order 75.

“If the issue is being raised that as of yet I don’t have a copy [of the bill], it is a different matter,” he said.

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | Austin.powers@myjoyonline.com