Political class must hold itself accountable - Majority Leader

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, says it is dangerous for the political class in the country to refrain from holding one another accountable whenever there is a change in government.

He said it would be a dangerous thing to ever happen to Ghana’s democracy if a certain group called the political class were allowed to conspire to protect one another.

Contributing to a debate on the floor of Parliament last Wednesday, Mr Ayariga contended that the day “we stopped holding each other accountable” would be the day the electorate would lose confidence in the country’s democracy.

“I take a position that, indeed, the reason why voters go and vote for one political party as against the other is so that they will come and hold each other accountable,” he said.

The issue had come up following a declaration of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta as a fugitive by the Special Prosecutor.

The Special Prosecutor, in a news conference earlier on the day, had claimed that the former minister was avoiding investigation into matters of alleged financial malfeasance involving the former minister.

Members of Parliament, particularly those belonging to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), had questioned the events of the previous day when supposed armed security officers allegedly stormed the residence of Mr Ofori-Atta and the subsequent news conference by the Special Prosecutor.

It’s a duty

Mr Ayariga warned that “when the people lose confidence in our democracy, that is the end of democracy in Ghana.

“So, we must hold each other accountable because the electorate believe that when they vote for a new party, and the party comes, we owe it a duty to those who voted them to hold those who have been taken out accountable,” he said.

During a debate on the floor of the House on the supposed search conducted by armed security operatives at the private residence of the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, some Members of Parliament (MPs) described the act as an attack on the political class that must be condemned.

Use the courts

But responding to such description, Mr Ayariga said if anyone was a believer in the rule of law and claimed that somebody had improperly searched their property, “you go to court for the court to declare that your property right and dignity have been violated”.

“But if you choose to use a political platform like the Chamber of Parliament to raise matters that, properly speaking, are the business of court, you will receive political responses, and that is what I see happening here,” he said.

Why nolle prosequi?

Addressing the argument about the Attorney-General filing a nolle prosequi and the subsequent withdrawal of prosecution against some former public officials, the Majority Leader said if the nation prosecuted a citizen for eight years and was unable to convict that citizen, “then there is a problem”.

“So, when you try somebody for eight good years, and you cannot secure a conviction, then clearly there is something wrong with the case, and if another Attorney-General comes and is convinced that you do not even have the basis for the prosecution and enters a nolle prosequi, that is not a case of clearing people,” he argued.

He contended that the failure of the previous government to secure a conviction against those who stood trial for eight years was what “has manifested itself in the nolle prosequi”.

We’re free people

The MP for Bawku Central recounted how he, as a politician, had suffered at the hands of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) when “I have been searched, investigated and prosecuted before”.

“The OSP has investigated me, taken me to the court, and I have fought my case, and I have won.

“So, I advise you; instead of making it a subject of debate in this chamber, please go and answer the question in court like some of us boldly and confidently went and answered questions in court,” he said.

Mr Ayariga added: “We were investigated, arraigned, responded to our charges, and we defended ourselves and got judgment in our favour, and we are free people. That is how democracy functions,” he said.

He, therefore, urged the Minority MPs not to make it look as though the political class had come under attack “because institutions of state that are supposed to hold us accountable have activated themselves and are doing their work”.

He assured the House that he would verify whether there was an abuse of human rights during the search at Mr Ofori-Atta’s residence, adding that if there was, the House would handle it through its Human Rights Committee.