The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called for fairness and restraint in the treatment of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, following the dramatic scenes which occurred in Parliament after the President’s State of the Nation Address.
His comments come after Members of Parliament on the Majority side displayed photographs of Mr Ofori-Atta in the chamber on Friday, moments after President John Mahama delivered his State of the Nation Address.
The MPs were heard singing and chanting, “They said the man will run away, and it has happened,” in apparent reference to the former minister’s absence from the country and mounting public calls for him to return to face scrutiny over his tenure.
Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, February 28, Mr Afenyo-Markin said while accountability is necessary, Parliament must not abandon the principles of fairness and due process.
“I think we have not been very fair in dealing with Ken Ofori-Atta as politicians, as people. We say we want the rule of law and fair hearing, but we are quick to pronounce people guilty,” he stated.
The Minority Leader revealed that he was personally affected by the incident in the chamber.
According to him, during the proceedings, he received a message from Mr Ofori-Atta’s brother, Duke Ofori-Atta, who is also a Member of Parliament.
“When I was sitting there, his brother Duke texted me, ‘Leader, why are they doing this to my brother?’ I felt the pain,” he recounted.
Mr Afenyo-Markin stated that he is not shielding anyone from scrutiny but is concerned about what he described as the growing tendency to “crucify” individuals in the court of public opinion before investigations are concluded.
“I am not standing in the way of anybody asking for accountability. I don’t want anybody to get me wrong. I am talking about the way and manner we are going about things,” he explained.
He noted that political actors, particularly those in opposition, are often privy to sensitive information but must exercise restraint in how such matters are handled.
“You want to pronounce people guilty before trial. I was just signaling them to be fair,” he added.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com