Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak has criticised the Criminal Investigations Department’s (CID) invitation of Deputy Minister for Roads and Highway, Anthony Karbo for questioning, saying it breaches the constitution and Karbo’s privilege as a Member of Parliament.
[contextly_sidebar id=”yasndLNNxNxssI73MJ8JmFltsnVAPd5v”]“If you look at Article 117 and standing order 22 of Parliament standing orders, the invitation clearly is in breach of the constitution and standing orders of Parliament because the Speaker of Parliament has not been written to or informed. No Member of Parliament is above the law, but any such invitation should be within the constitution. And clearly the privileges of the Member of Parliament, Anthony Karbo have been grossly violated,” he argued.
He pointed out that the invitation was also problematic, given that the Speaker was not informed about the call.
“This issue has not come to the attention of the Speaker and clearly if he has been invited as we are hearing by the Police, then it is a violation of his privileges.”
Does invitation breach constitution?
Another Member of Parliament Kwame Agbodza who was directly addressing the Speaker of Parliament, Michael Oquaye questioned whether the invitation was in conformity with the constitution, saying “Mr Speaker, Members of Parliament need to know whether this is an arrest or invitation and whether there is a breach of Order 22 or Article 117 of the constitution.”
Karbo’s invitation
Mr Karbo was invited by the CID for interrogation over the ongoing investigations into allegations of fraud against Kwesi Nyantakyi by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Citi News sources say Mr Karbo’s name came up in an undercover video by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas which showed Kwesi Nyantakyi using President Akufo-Addo’s name to solicit a bribe from supposed potential investors allegedly.
The editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako, confirmed on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana that Anthony Karbo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Lawra constituency was mentioned in the film.
He said the investigative team had scheduled to interview Mr Karbo on Wednesday to comment on the yet-to-be-released video.
“Karbo is mentioned, Karbo is the one scheduled to be interviewed on Wednesday, I don’t see why you are doubting that I’m saying this on a public record. Karbo is mentioned and he is aware that he’s been mentioned and he knew that Wednesday, we were to meet for the interview, so he would have watched.
“If you are not being interviewed, you can’t watch the portion that concerns you, so he knew. He was scheduled to be interviewed on Wednesday, meaning, he would have had the opportunity to watch portions of where he was mentioned so that he can react, and that is part of the investigations, so, the investigation is incomplete and that’s what I say,” Kweku Baako said.
President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday made a formal complaint at the CID against FA boss, Kwesi Nyantakyi who was captured in Anas’ video allegedly soliciting a bribe from supposed foreign investors in the name of President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Bawumia and other top government officials.
Mr Nyantakyi cut short his trip to Morocco on Tuesday and returned to Ghana on Wednesday afternoon where he turned himself into the CID for questioning.
After almost 5 hours of questioning, Kwesi Nyantakyi was taken by men from the CID to his home where his mobile phones and laptops were seized after a search.
Kwesi Nyantakyi has since been granted bail.
–
By: Marian Ansah/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
