The Accra High Court has ruled that the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, is obliged by law to stand trial in a criminal case filed against him by the Special Prosecutor.
According to Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, per Article 118 of the 1992 Constitution, MPs have immunity not to attend court in the course of their duty only when they have been invited to testify in court as witnesses.
According to her, since Ayariga is an accused person and not a witness, he is not immune to stand trial.
Justice Botwe made the ruling following a certificate filed at the court’s registry by the Speaker of Parliament asking the court to exempt Ayariga from the trial because he was attending parliamentary proceedings.
The case has been adjourned to June 10, for Ayariga’s lawyers to move an application challenging the appropriateness of the charges levelled against him.
Ayariga has not been formally charged in the courtroom.
He will be formally charged after the court had ruled on his lawyers' application challenging the charges.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the media after the court hearing, the Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu who together with a host of Parliamentarians from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) followed Ayariga to court in solidarity said the party would challenge the decision of the court in the Supreme Court.
According to him, the judge failed to take into consideration the whole provisions of the constitution that dealt with the legislature.
He said Mahama Ayaria was not asking to be exempted from the trial.
“All he is asking is to be allowed to work as the trial goes on,” he said.
Source: graphic.com.gh
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NDC were shouting that Special Prosecutor off6is a waste of National resources. Now he is working and they are cryinvhmmm. Was Sakender not MP when he was attending court?. After this Double salary takers will follow. Interesting times ahead
Too many crooks in ghanas Paliament the corrupt ***barred word*** always stick for each other
AYARIGA IS A ***barred word*** HE MUST BE JAIL WHEN FOUND GUILT A ***barred word*** AND FIAFITOR, GH PP
OYEWA, UNCLE KWAKU BAAKO SAID IT OO, THAT DON'T PUSH FOR WHAT YOU CAN'T STAND FOR. JUST AYARIGA'S TRIAL AND NDC IS IN A STATE OF SERIOUS CONFUSION AND THAT IS ONE OUT OF THE TEWNTY-ONE. YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AFTER GOING THROUGH THE CASES. SORRY MY BROTHERS IN NDC BUT THIS WHAT WE ASKED FOR AND WE ARE BEING SERVED WITH.