MP Escapes ‘Rambo Style’ Arrest

The Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Alhaji Collins Dauda on Tuesday dawn escaped arrest when the police besieged his residence.

The early morning failed swoop was believed to be in search of his (Collins’) bodyguard, one Ahmed said to have allegedly assaulted a sympathizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) identified as Sarfo Keneth, at the district Electoral Commission office during the ongoing limited registration at in Kenyasi.

According to the police, the commotion started when the suspect in the company of Mr. Dauda allegedly took a photo of Sarfo after they had reportedly prevented the MP from accessing the registration centre.

The former Minister has been invited by the police but the MP, who is a former Deputy Local Government Minister, was not home at the time police stormed the places.

Speaker Angry

But the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye is displeased at the aggressive manner in the MP’s home was raided.

Prof. Mike Ocquaye said the police must respect privileges of MPs and approach his office before they carry out any action.

“We want to inform and repeat that the privileges of this honourable house have been clearly set out in the Constitution of Ghana. It applies to all members…,” Prof Ocquaye stated shortly after news broke that the Inspector General Police [IGP] ordered the arrest of the MP.

The Speaker says the early morning search conducted in the residences of the MP in his constituency as well as that in Accra, was done in a manner that “honourable members felt were not in consonance in parliamentary privilege.”

Addressing journalists covering proceedings of the House, Prof Ocquaye acknowledged that even though MPs are not above the law, a decision by police to storm the residence of Asutifi South MP Collins Dauda without recourse to the speaker should not be happening.

“It, therefore, means that essentially we ask for is not to be taken by surprise or not to be treated in a manner that will not be consistent with the dignity that an honourable of Member of Parliament should be attended to,” he stated.

Decency

“We want to put on record that in future, the leadership of the house [and] the speaker of the house should be informed of all such needs so that it would be done with the appropriate decency…so that we will not be seen to be shielding any wrong doing and at the same time keeping to the honour that should be given to this institution.”

He says in the specific incident, officials from Parliament will later Tuesday accompany Collins Dauda to the police headquarters to meet the Police CID Boss and that he will not meet any official with a rank lower than that.

“If you want an honourable member of parliament…that person will report in good company of parliamentary leadership and to the commissioner in charge of investigations at the Ghana Police [Service] that should be seen to be cooperating enough,” Prof. Oquaye said admonished, adding that “after all monkeys play in sizes.”

Minority MPs

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, addressing the press suggested that Mr. Dauda’s home in Accra was also raided.

“You cannot go in search of thugs in his home; both in the Brong Ahafo Constituency and in his home in Accra, and find that justifiable,” he said.

“I want to use this opportunity to call the President and the Minister for Interior and the Inspector General of Police to order, that we are a country governed by law and a country underpinned by the rule of law.”

Though Mr. Iddrisu said MPs were not above a law, he said the raiding of an MP’s home was “unacceptable.”

” He [Dauda] is being intimidated and harassed. The intimidation and harassment must stop… We demand civility and courtesy in these matters.

By: The Publisher