They will discuss the immunity of Madina MP
There has been an attempt to arrest Sosu for leading a protest in his constituency
Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader in Parliament, has said the Parliamentary Leadership will be meeting the IGP, Dr George Akuffo Dampare over the attempt to arrest Francis-Xavier Sosu, Madina MP for leading a demonstration in his constituency.
According to the Tamale South MP, the meeting comes after the Speaker of Parliament received a letter from the IGP about the matter and the leadership of Parliament used the opportunity to discuss “several other matters including the matter of immunity” of the MP.
“Parliamentary immunity and privileges from the Lord Kings in the United Kingdom were to preserve the honour and dignity of a Member of Parliament to ensure that in the performance of his duty, he is not obstructed,” Haruna Iddrisu explained on Joy News’ ‘PM Express’ programme.
He noted that, attempts to arrest the Madina MP before his constituents were uncalled for.
The Madina MP led some of his constituents on a demonstration against bad roads on October 25, a sanctioned march which the police contend triggered some unlawful acts, hence the attempt to arrest the MP.
He said the police manhandled him on the day of the protest and he subsequently reported two police officers to Parliament.
There were also police officers present at a church service to arrest the MP, although the police have denied that they were there to arrest him.
Sosu questioned why some senior police officers will obstruct his duty as an MP.
“How would you show up in a protest and hook a Member of Parliament as a common criminal, it took my own effort to wedge them off and the youth surrounding and resisting,” he recounted on Metro TV’s ‘Good Afternoon Ghana’ on Friday, November 19.
The NDC MP indicated that it is so easy for any individual to be screaming, are MPs above the law or whatsoever.
To him, what happened between himself and the Police during the protest is far from an MP acting as if he was above the law.
“Nobody is above the law; I am very conversant of Article 17 of the Constitution i.e. equality before the law. It doesn’t matter [who you are, you can be] the street sweeper, the President, Assembly Member, the Unit Committee Member, the Municipal Chief Executive, the trotro driver, the Okada rider.
“Everybody in this country is equal before the law and equality before the law also implies that the police is equal before the law.
“The same law that gives you the power of arrest, prescribes the mode of the arrest. If you do not follow that mode because it is about the liberty of another citizen, that arrest will be unlawful,” lawyer Sosu explained.
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