The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, has warned Members of Parliament to desist from leaking details of matters that have not been discussed at the plenary to the media.
The Speaker said this emerging practice is bad for the house and could lead to MPs going to the media for information instead of relying on the structures in the house.
The Speaker gave this warning after the Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo Markin questioned how information from the privileges committee leaked after Tuesday’s pre-hearing on the Ken Agyapong matter. “In other words, very soon, we will be seeking our guidance of the media and all manner of unauthorized sources, and we will be dragging the reputation of Parliament as a respectable or honorable institution.
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“When honorable members are making comments we must be very circumspect about matters that are still pending before the honorable house and regarding which this honorable house will make decisions. We are not going to play to the gallery. We are going to take decisions. …While a matter is pending in the House, you should be circumspect on what to say,” the Speaker said.
Parliament’s Privileges Committee sat on Tuesday to examine the evidence against the Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong.
The evidence was provided by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, who referred his fellow MP to the committee.
Kennedy Agyapong reportedly described Parliament as “useless” for having Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu as its Majority leader on Accra-based Net2 TV, which belongs to him.
But the Assin Central MP contends that his comments were taken out of context.
He also described Muntaka Mubarak as dumb for referring him to Parliament’s Privileges Committee over the purported insult.
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“He [Muntaka Mubarak] is a dumb MP, and now, I will take him on one on one. Let him go to the Privileges Committee that I Kennedy Agyapong say he is a dumb MP because he did not even listen to the context of the issue and just dragged the matter” the MP said.