Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo has called for bipartisan legislation to define the lawful procedures by which Members of Parliament (MPs) should be invited or arrested by state security agencies.
The NDC members’ comments come in the wake of the controversial attempted arrest of Assin South MP, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) over his claims concerning the AirMed Ghana scandal.
Speaking on The Forum on Asaase Radio, Samoa Addo defended the actions of the NIB and urged the public to focus less on the method of the invitation and more on the legal processes available.
“It is the NPP government acting through their security agencies at the time that introduced mask men into our security apparatus.
“Until Ayawaso West Wuogon, there hasn’t been any security apparatus whose personnel is hooded. People like Double had been recruited by the NPP, given three months training into the National Security,” he said, referencing the widely criticized Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence that featured armed, hooded men.
While addressing concerns about how the attempted arrest was conducted, Samoa Addo proposed a legislative solution to the recurring tension between MPs and security bodies.
“We should all agree to do a bipartisan legislation which would uphold the provisions of the 1992 Constitution and detail in legislation the method by which MPs should be invited or arrested by the security agencies,” he stated.
His comments add to the ongoing debate over how best to balance parliamentary privileges with law enforcement responsibilities, especially when elected officials become the subject of investigations.
