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Speaker declares NPP as majority group in Parliament
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has declared the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Caucus as having the majority side in the House following the declaration by the Independent Fomena MP, Hon.
Andrew Amoako Asiamah to associate with the NPP Party for purposes of transacting business in Parliament.
With Hon. Asiamah holding the balance in Parliament following a tie in numbers, thus 137 apiece for both NPP and NDC Caucus, his association with the NPP Caucus therefore gives them a superior numerical advantage of 138:137 to be declared the Majority Caucus.
The Speaker having recognized the wish of Hon. Asiamah and read his declaration letter dated January 13, 2021, to Members on the floor of the House at a sitting on Friday, January 15, 2021, declared the NPP side the Majority group in Parliament.
“Hon. Members, with this official declaration to the House, the House will accord him the space to do as he has stated. Whatever he said outside was of no effect so far as the business of the House is concerned. Therefore, he has to do it officially for it to be read and captured in the Hansard. And so what we have now – we have the New Patriotic Party Caucus in Parliament together with the Independent Member of Parliament for Fomena now constitute the Majority Group”, he declared amidst cheers and singing from the NPP MPs.
The declaration made by the Speaker therefore puts to rest the brouhaha surrounding which group constitutes Majority and Minority in Parliament.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, has expressed deep sorrow following the sudden passing of Isaac Batsa, the constituency secretary for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker issued a statement on Tuesday reacting to the news, which has shocked the local political community.
Mr.Awuku praised the late NDC secretary for his bipartisan approach to local governance.
He noted that despite their different political affiliations, Batsa consistently rose above party lines to serve the constituency with diligence.
The MP revealed that the news was particularly shocking given that he had last interacted with Batsa just three days prior on Saturday.
Concluding his statement, Sammy Awuku extended his heartfelt condolences to Batsa’s family, the constituency and regional executives, and the entire NDC fraternity, wishing the deceased peaceful eternal rest.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
