PPP Chairman speaks on Francis-Xavier sosu's police case

Progresive People's Party Chairman, Nana Ofori Owusu, has waded into discussions about Madina MP, Francis-Xavier Sosu's refusal to submit himself for Police interrogation.

The MP has declined an invite by the Police after he was cited in a violent protest at Madina.

The Police request for the Speaker of Parliament to release the MP has also been turned down with the Speaker, in a letter signed by the Deputy Director of Legal Services of Parliament, arguing that MP cannot be released to the Police.

“I am directed by the Rt. Hon. Speaker to inform you that proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the 1st Session of the 8th Parliament commenced on Tuesday 26th October 2021, and having regard to the limitations of articles 117 and 118 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic, he is unable to release the Member of Parliament as requested in your letter.”

“The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament further directs that I refer you to the provisions of article 122 of the 1992 Constitution and to inform you that on Wednesday the 27th October, 2021 he referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament, allegations of breach of parliamentary privilege and contempt by ACP Isaac Kojo Asante and ACP Eric Winful of the Accra Regional Police Command and the Adenta Divisional Command respectively,” the letter read.

However, the Police has indicated it will use all legal means to summon the MP.

"As an honourable Member of Parliament, he (Francis-Xavier Sosu) should honourably avail himself to Police authority to question him on the issue because the Public Order law enjoins him to do that''.

" . . if he doesn't come, we have several options. Even what the Hon. Speaker wrote citing some clauses, the Police is likely to go to the Apex Court to seek interpretation to guide our future security operations of the kind. We can also go to court to present him with summons and if he refuses to come and the court issues bench warrant", then the Police will take him, Police Public Affairs Director, ACP Kwesi Ofori said in an interview on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Monday morning.

Nana Ofori Owusu has blamed the Police/Parliament replies on structural failures.

He expounded that the issue is beyond Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu because he not obeying the Police order is due to institutional problems and so suggested that, for the situation to simmer down, there has to be proper interpretation of the laws.

''It's not about the individuals. It's an institutional failure that we have to address, as a people, to be able to move on and for us to know that we are equal before the law...The issue is bigger than just the man. It's an institutional thing that's going on that we need to make sure that we seek the right interpretation of the law'', he stated.

The PPP National Chairman, Nana Ofori Owusu made these comments on 'Kokrokoo'.