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Mike Aaron Oquaye – Speaker
The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, has asked the High Court to schedule its work to allow the MP for Bawku Central, Mr. Mahama Ayiraga, to be tried and represent his constituents at the same time. to Parliament without interruption.
The release of Ayariga by the Parliament yesterday to be tried before a High Court of Accra follows a request that he made to the Chamber as to whether or not to honor an invitation to to appear in court yesterday.
Parliamentary immunity
Following the request, the leaders of the Minority Chamber and the majority asked the President to take a decision on the matter. They stressed that the determination should be in the interest of the rule of law, while protecting parliamentary immunity.
When the House resumed adjournment for some time, the President quoted Article 117 of the 1992 Constitution and called on state institutions or agencies to respect the constitutional separation of powers, even though if the House recognized that no one was there. above the law.
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He said that the MP was not above the law. In addition, the House was not sitting all year and sometimes Parliament was not sitting. He suggested that members be invited to appear in court on days when the House is not sitting or is on a break.
He said that no parliamentarians were above the law and that the 1992 constitution provided for certain privileges, but it also allowed the trial of a parliamentarian, citing the case of Dan Abodakpi.
Three arms of the government
According to Professor Oquaye, the Constitution enjoined the three branches of government to work independently, unhindered.
The special prosecutor, Martin Amidu, dragged Mr. Ayariga to court to face charges of presumptive tax evasion and violation of personal vehicle purchase laws and an ambulance for a municipal badembly.
However, in a letter dated 2 June 2019 to the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Ayariga indicated that he could not be present in court on Tuesday because he was a member of parliament and would sit in Parliament.
When the case was called to court yesterday morning, Ayariga was in Parliament. He introduced a motion in the House describing the court order as having been served in violation of his parliamentary immunity.
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