The Inspector-General of Police has been petitioned to commence criminal proceedings against Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West Constituency, Carlos Ahenorah, for violating the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851).
According to the petitioner, the MP put his constituents at risk of COVID-19 when he violated the health act and mingled with them during his tour of registration centres while aware he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
“I am of the firm conviction that the conduct of the Honourable Member of Parliament is in violation of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851),” the petition said.
The petitioner, Enoch Agyapong, noted that the entire world is in a COVID-19 pandemic and Ghana not spared, the President through the Ministry of Health put in necessary protocols to arrest the spread of the virus.
He averred that notorious among these protocols is the requirement that a person who is diagnosed positive with the virus must observe mandatory 14-day isolation and test negative before coming out to engage the public.
He observed that even the President observed the mandatory 14-day isolation after he was exposed to a COVID-19 patient.
“Against these much-publicised protocols, the MP was diagnosed positive with the COVID-19 virus on 23 Day of June, 2020 that required the MP to have observed 14-day mandatory isolation immediately after he was told of his positive status and should have been treated and discharged as negative of the virus.
“However, against the much-publicised protocols and all good reason, the Honourable Member of Parliament decided to embark on a tour of registration centres in our constituency and widely interacted with some of his constituents.”
“The Honourable Member has since admitted on various media platforms that he knew of his positive status at the time he embarked on the tour of the registration centres and has resigned his position as the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, following a public outcry that was generated by his conduct.”
“I am of the firm conviction that, the conduct of the Honourable Member of Parliament is in violation of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851). The relevant provisions of the Public Health Act are reproduced below;
“Section 10. (1) A medical officer or an authorized health officer may
(a) cause a person suffering or suspected to be suffering from a communicable disease, whether in an infected area or not, to be removed to a health facility or designated place; and
(b) detain that person until the medical officer or health officer determines that that person is safe to be discharged.
15. A person who, without lawful authority or excuse, the proof of which lies on that person,
(a) contravenes a provision of this Part for which a punishment is not provided, or does anything which, under this Part or under the Regulations that person ought not to do, or
(b) obstructs or impedes or aids or incites any other person to obstruct or impede a medical officer, veterinary officer, police officer, health officer, or any other person lawfully acting in the execution of a provision of this Part, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than fifty penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not more than three months, or to both.”
Mr Agyapong argued that the conduct of the MP after he was told of his positive status is in direct violation of the provisions of Act 851 and therefore should criminally be prosecuted.
“I would like your outfit to commence investigation leading to the death of one of his Coordinators, Osei Kofi Amankwah, who died as a result of COVID-19 on the 2nd of July 2020.”
“It was evidently clear that the Honourable Member of Parliament had a meeting with the Coordinator on 21st of June 2020 whiles his samples had already been taken for COVID-19 testing waiting for the outcome, which eventually turned out to be POSITIVE,” he noted.
The petitioner attached Mr Ahenkorah’s interviews with Citi FM and Asempa FM as well as a video of him embracing party faithful while awaiting his test result.
Carlos Ahenkorah hot again!
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