The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has established a committee to investigate allegations made against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The Speaker of Parliament made this decision after the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, challenged the Minority’s motion. He informed the House that the Minister for Finance would be treated unfairly if the motion were to proceed and demanded a fair hearing.
Mr. Bagbin explained that setting up the committee will give a fair hearing for the Finance Minister to speak up on the allegations leveled against him.
“At this time, all I can do is allow the motion to be seconded, and I will allow it to be responded to by our standing orders, which I can interpret.”The matter will be referred to an ad hoc committee to be investigated.
“The evidence will be placed before the committee.” The minister will have the opportunity to defend himself. “A report will be presented to the House, and we will debate that report,” he said.
He therefore indicated that the ad hoc committee has seven days to present its report.
The committee is made up of eight members, four each from the majority and minority sides. The ad hoc committee will be co-chaired by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East, Dominic Ayine, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Adansi-Asokwa, KT Hammond. Other members of the committee from the minority side are Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; Member of Parliament for Klottey-Korle, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings; and Member of Parliament for Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor.
The rest of the members from the majority side are Member of Parliament for Okaikoi Central, Yaw Boahmah; Member of Parliament for Ashanti Akyem Central, Emmanuel Anyimadu-Antwi; and Andrew Egyapa Mercer.
Following a motion filed by the minority members of Parliament, a vote of censure against Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta was held on November 10, 2022.
However, the application could not go through because an ad hoc committee was set up to investigate Ken Ofori-Atta in order to give him a fair hearing.
