Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, has said that he does not want to be brought before any investigating authority for questioning on any topic when he leaves office as Speaker of the Eighth Parliament.
As a result, he has said that he would not work on any material that does not originate from official sources, stating, “I am aware of the legal ramifications and I will not risk it.”
“We (Parliament) deal with the government, so when you enter into those agreements with the private sector or whatever,” Mr. Bagbin said on the floor of Parliament, “we will rely on your communication, and the documents that you will attach to this communication are the authentic documents for our attention.”
“This provision shall, with appropriate changes by Parliament, apply to an international commercial or economic transaction to which the Government is a party as it applies to a loan,” he said, referring to Article 181 (5) of the 1992 Constitution.
“I know why I’m saying this, so please take notice, Ministry of Finance.” We’ve given you many nudges to write to us formally, attaching agreements that the Minister has made with different agencies for us to act on,” he continued.
“As of today, one year later, it has not been completed, and we cannot rely on papers from those agencies as valid documents to deal with,” he stated.
“This is a notification to the Ministry of Finance,” said Speaker Bagbin. I’ve phoned the Ministry many times, but we’re not receiving the answers we need.”
“Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, The country’s judgment debts are getting too great for it, and we don’t want to be a part of it,” he said, adding, “I will not work on any document that does not come from a government source.” I’m aware of the legal ramifications, and I’m not willing to take a chance.”
“I don’t want to leave my seat after that and be summoned to any agency to be probed for whatever,” she says.