Arrest of Madina MP bodyguard is dangerous and unacceptable – Alban Bagbin
Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has condemned the arrest of Francis-Xavier Sosu’s bodyguard by the Police, describing it as “dangerous and unacceptable”.
Inspector Daniel Agbavor was interdicted for alleged misconduct in the discharge of his duties as an officer.
The incident ensued during the attempted arrest of the lawmaker for allegedly leading his constituents to block some roads during a demonstration over poor roads by the Madina constituents.
Youth of the constituency did not allow the Police to arrest their Member of Parliament while the protest was ongoing Inspector Agbavor is alleged to have driven the lawmaker away in a car.
He is also alleged to have recklessly driven the car into the protesting crowd on Monday, October 25, 2021, and endangering the lives of two senior officers and other civilians in the process.
A Police statement signed by ACP Kwesi Ofori, Director-General, Public Affairs revealed that the Parliamentary Protection Unit has been tasked to assign a new guard to the MP.
But, Mr Bagbin in responding to the directive cautioned the Police saying “the Police Service should also not be allowed to use threats of administrative sanctions to make ineffective the Parliamentary Protection Unit by interdicting officers who are lawfully protecting their Principals and whose only crime, if any, is to be assigned to protect a Member of Parliament.”
The Rt Hon. Speaker believes that the action that was taken by the Police Service to interdict the bodyguard of the Hon. Member of Parliament for Madina could potentially affect the morale of all bodyguards of Members of Parliament and weaken the ability of the guards to provide the needed protection for Members of Parliament in general.
He added that “this undoubtedly will defeat the very purpose for which Members of Parliament are provided with bodyguards in the first place.
“The instruction to the Commander of the Parliamentary Protection Unit to replace the interdicted Police Officer with another officer for the Hon. Member is, to say the least, dangerous and unacceptable.”
Mr Bagbin also explained that to arrest a legislator, the appropriate means is to notify the Speaker that the said legislator will not be present in Parliamentary sitting insisting that anything short of this will not be entertained.
The Speaker noted the fact that the privileges enjoyed by legislators are not absolute, however, the procedure to arrest a legislator must be in accordance with the tenets of the constitution.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
