The Former MP for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, has weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding the vetting of President Mahama’s ministerial nominees, particularly focusing on the committee formed to investigate the chaos that erupted on that day.
In his remarks, Appiah-Kubi raised concerns over procedural lapses, the suspension of four MPs, and the subsequent dissolution of the investigative committee.
Appiah-Kubi began by addressing the suspension of four Members of Parliament (MPs) in the immediate aftermath of the vetting chaos. He described;
“… That, action was premature because the four members had not been heard, and they had not responded to any inquiry. There was just this order suspending them, which appears like a sanction. And, if they had not been heard, just sanctioning them ahead of proceedings was in breach of natural justice principle.”
Andy Appiah-Kubi Former MP for Asante Akyem North
He further noted that such a decision, taken without granting the affected MPs a fair hearing, was uncalled for. He reiterated;
“And indeed, for me, if they had challenged it, which I’m sure they did, it will be annulled. And in any case, whether or not they challenged the decision, I think the Speaker subsequently vacated that order, which means that pursuant to the service of the suspension a day or so, that order suspended them has been vacated.”
Andy Appiah-Kubi Former MP for Asante Akyem North
Following the chaotic scenes during the vetting, the Speaker of Parliament established a committee to investigate the events of that day. He emphasized;
“Now the Speaker, after suspending them, formed a committee. The committee’s work was to investigate the happenings of the day and probably bring recommendations.”
Andy Appiah-Kubi Former MP for Asante Akyem North
However, he argued that this committee should have been established before any suspensions were enforced. He contended that the Speaker should have first gathered facts through the committee’s findings before imposing any sanctions. According to Appiah-Kubi, this reversal in the procedural order weakened the committee’s credibility and effectiveness.
He noted that as a result of the Speaker’s suspension, the committee’s mandate was cut short. Appiah-Kubi added;
” We understand because the Minority has had a change of heart. Not only [were] they not participating as members of the committee, but they [were] also not in any way engaging.”
Andy Appiah-Kubi Former MP for Asante Akyem North
This development, according to him, meant that the committee was no longer in a position to complete its work. Even if it had continued and presented a report, its findings and recommendations would have been significantly undermined by the absence of the Minority’s input.
The Issue of Double Jeopardy
A key concern Appiah-Kubi raised was the possibility of punishing MPs twice for the same offense. He argued that;
“If the people have been given suspension and that order had been violated subsequently, are we not sure that the [new] committee’s aspect has finished its work? And there was nothing more for the committee to do, because after all they [would] have finished with their report and they came out with sanctions, will their sanctions not be void ab initio because of the double jeopardy rule? They couldn’t be punished twice for the same offense?”
Andy Appiah-Kubi Former MP for Asante Akyem North
In essence, Appiah-Kubi questioned the legal soundness of the entire disciplinary process, suggesting that any additional punitive actions against the MPs could be deemed unfair and legally untenable.
He noted that this logical order was not followed. Instead, suspensions were imposed before investigations, only for the suspensions to be reversed and the committee’s work to be prematurely halted due to the Minority’s withdrawal.
His remarks highlight significant procedural flaws in the way the chaos surrounding the vetting process was handled. Moving forward, he emphasized the importance of upholding fairness and due process to ensure that parliamentary proceedings maintain their integrity.
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