The Minority in Parliament has filed a motion seeking a review of Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to reject its proposed parliamentary inquiry into drug trafficking through Ghana.
The motion, filed by First Deputy Minority Whip and Tolon MP Habib Iddrisu, invokes Standing Order 127 of Parliament’s Standing Orders.
Bagbin ruled on September 29, 2026, that the proposed inquiry was inadmissible, citing concerns that it could prejudice ongoing criminal proceedings involving about 21 people in four separate narcotics-related cases.
The Minority had sought a bipartisan inquiry into major drug seizures linked to Ghana.
Speaking at a press briefing ahead of Parliament’s resumption on Tuesday, November 3, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the motion was intended to challenge what the caucus considers a restriction on Parliament’s constitutional oversight responsibilities, not to undermine the Speaker’s authority.
“We respect the office of the Speaker and recognise the constitutional responsibility entrusted to its occupant. However, respect for the office does not require silence when a ruling raises a serious question about the constitutional powers of Parliament,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin cited several major narcotics seizures involving consignments linked to Ghana, including the interception of about 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk in France on September 7, 2026.
The consignment, reportedly concealed in a shipment of plastic waste originating from Ghana, was valued at approximately €225 million.
He also referred to seizures in Amsterdam, Antwerp and Sydney, as well as suspected cocaine interceptions in Ghana, including incidents within the Tema Harbour enclave and at Pedu Junction.
He said the incidents raised concerns about port security, cargo inspection, customs controls, intelligence coordination and the country’s broader response to transnational organised crime.
The Minority Leader argued that ongoing criminal cases should not prevent Parliament from examining possible weaknesses in the public institutions responsible for preventing drug trafficking.
“The prosecution of individuals, however necessary, cannot absolve the government of its responsibility to account for the institutional and regulatory weakness that may have facilitated these incidents,” he said.
He maintained that the proposed inquiry was not intended to determine the guilt or innocence of individuals facing criminal charges.
Afenyo-Markin said criminal courts and Parliament had separate constitutional responsibilities, with courts determining criminal liability while Parliament examines the performance of public institutions and the adequacy of laws and regulatory arrangements.
“A criminal court determines whether an accused person has committed an offence, whereas Parliament examines whether public institutions have discharged their responsibilities, whether existing laws and regulatory arrangements are adequate, and whether failures in public administration require corrective action. These are separate constitutional functions. The existence of one does not automatically extinguish the other,” he said.
The Minority maintains that its proposed inquiry would focus on institutional and regulatory weaknesses rather than the criminal liability of persons standing trial.
