The first day of the public hearing of the committee on the motion of censure against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, was characterized by heated exchanges and clashes between the Minority members and some members of the Majority side, including Kobina Tahir Hammond, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi-Asokwa constituency in the Ashanti Region.
The MP for the North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also engaged in heated exchanges with counsel for the Finance Minister, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, who is also a cousin of Mr Ofori-Atta.
Mr Otchere-Darko, had sought to advise Mr Ablakwa to reserve some of his comments for a press conference and not the committee sittings, but in a sharp rebuttal, the North Tongu MP, asked the seasoned lawyer not to attempt to teach him his job.
“You can’t come here and teach me how to do my work,” Mr Ablakwa said, adding, “you can’t come here and throw your weight about. This is Parliament, you can’t tell me what to do, you are not the chairman, so don’t tell me what to do,” a livid Ablakwa retorted.
Mr Otchere-Darko, had earlier expressed concern that his client would be caught off guard by the evidence and requested “full particulars of the facts in support of the allegations against the [Finance] Minister.”
He also said there would not be enough time to scrutinise the evidence outlined by the Minority.
“It would not be fair for the Minister of Finance to be ambushed right here without any preparation to start answering questions.”
The beleaguered Finance Minister, will on Friday be expected to put up a defence to the Minority’s push for a vote of censure against him.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, also dismissed suggestions that the current economic crisis in Ghana was mainly caused by the war being waged on Ukraine by Russia.
Addressing the Committee, the Tamale South MP said the “reckless borrowing” and “reckless spending” by the Finance Minister are the cause of Ghana’s woes.
“Did you borrow to support the war in Ukraine,” Mr Iddrisu asked, arguing that, it was because of Ofori-Atta’s recklessness that caused Ghana’s economic woes.
Addressing the Committee on the motion of censure against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, the Tamale South MP, said the “reckless borrowing” and “reckless spending” by the Finance Minister are the cause of Ghana’s woes.
His comment was in response to a remark made by the co-chairman of the Committee, K.T Hammond, who suggested that Mr Ofori-Atta cannot be entirely blamed for the country’s financial crisis.
The public hearing of the committee on the censure motion against Mr Ofori Atta kicked off on a rough note Tuesday morning after clashes between the Minority and Majority members on the committee on the mode of the submission of evidence.
Even before being sworn, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu and Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, who were the first to appear before the committee, wished to tender evidence which was contested by the Chairman, KT Hammond and some majority members.
Yesterday’s sitting by the eight-member ad-hoc committee recorded heated exchanges, objections and concerns over admissibility of evidence.
The Minister in a written request, prior to the hearing, sought further and better particulars on the grounds for the motion while raising questions over the committee’s jurisdiction.
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko told the Committee that his client will be ready with the responses by Friday, November 18, 2022.
“We will require about 48 hours which should mean that, we are looking at Friday. We believe that, the Finance Minister who will speak for himself will need just one day to make his submissions.”
Private Legal practitioner and leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Otchere-Darko represented the Finance Minister at the hearing of the Parliamentary Committee probing the basis for a vote of censure against Ofori-Atta.
The start of the hearing was held up because of a clash over the mode for tendering evidence at the committee.
Even before being sworn in to testify, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, and, Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, who were the first to appear before the committee, wished to utilise evidence in a manner that was contested.
While the committee’s clerk said he had not received the formal record of the evidence from the Minority, Mr. Forson said he had sent the notice of evidence via hyperlinks because the clerk’s notice to him had come in a letter sent via WhatsApp.
As the debate escalated, the Minority members of the committee appealed for flexibility and the urgent handling of the allegations against the Finance Minister.
The Majority members on the committee pushed for a formal notice of the evidence to be tendered before proceedings continue.
Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyer, Gabby Otchere-Darko, expressed concern that his client would be caught off guard by the evidence and requested “full particulars of the facts in support of the allegations against the minister.”
He also said there would not be enough time to scrutinise the evidence outlined by the Minority.
“It would not be fair for the Minister of Finance to be ambushed right here without any preparation to start answering questions.”
“All we are asking for in the interest of justice is that we should be furnished with the full particulars of the facts in support of each of the allegations contained in the letter and then the supporting documents,” Mr Okyere Darko said.
Despite the appeals, the hearing was allowed to proceed after the Minority Leader swore his oath and was allowed to give his testimony.
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