Minority Leader in Parliament has rejected Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to dismiss the Minority’s motion seeking a parliamentary inquiry into recent major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana. The Speaker erred by relying on ongoing criminal proceedings to determine the scope of Parliament’s proposed inquiry, according to the Minority Leader. He said the Speaker got it wrong by using existing pending criminal proceedings to determine the scope and manner of the inquiry. The motion, filed by First Deputy Minority Whip Habib Iddrisu on September 28, sought the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate how major narcotics consignments were processed, inspected, cleared, and exported from Ghana. The motion cited the seizure of 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine at France’s Port of Dunkirk and the seizure of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine by the Australian Border Force in June 2026. The Minority Leader argued that the existence of cases before the courts should not hinder examination of broader institutional and systemic issues surrounding the seizures. The proposed inquiry was intended to examine the conduct, administration, and effectiveness of public institutions involved in the matter, rather than interfere with the work of the courts. He warned that weakening parliamentary oversight could reduce accountability across state institutions. When Parliament is weakened, our accountability is weakened, and the institutions of state are left with fewer checks on the exercise of power.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
