Naagyei 90.3 Fm Agyapa
The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Aaron Oquaye has issued a certificate to the embattled lawmaker, Mahama Ayariga to present to Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe, Presiding Judge at the Financial and Economic Crime High Court 2.
This essentially, will seek to ask the Court to invite the MP (Accused person) only on days when Parliament is not sitting.
Reports say some Minority MPs including, Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, Dominic Aryine, Ato Forson, Kofi Baah, Thomas Ampem, James Agalga, Sam George, Bernard Ahiafor have all stormed the court to show solidarity to the Bawku Central MP, Mhama Ayariga.
Earlier, the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye suspended parliamentary sitting temporarily for 30 minutes for broader consultation on the prosecution of the Member .
This comes after a judge ordered Mr Ayariga to make himself available in court over a corruption probe case.
Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe of the Financial and Tax Court on Tuesday asked lawyers of the lawmaker to produce him for the case to take its natural course.
According to EIB court correspondent Wilberforce Asare, counsel of the MP, who refused to honour the summons, are “trying everything possible to get him to appear in court.
The judge had stood down the case until 13.00GMT to give lawyers ample time to produce the NDC MP in court.
The Bawku Central MP initially turned down an invitation by the Special prosecutor Martin Amidu over the corruption probe involving him.
According to the former Sports minister, he will not be able to attend to court on the said date because parliament will be in sessions and he will therefore be working for his constituents.
The Special Prosecutor has sued the Member of Parliament for abusing his office among other offences.
This is the first case the Office is pursuing in court since its formation more than a year ago.
Joined to the suit is one Kendrick Akwasi Marfo of ATLAS-Rent-A-Car company.
According to the writ sighted “Mahama Ayariga aged 44 years in November 2017 at Tema in the Greater Accra Region did fraudulently evade customs duties and taxes by paying GH¢6,062.86 instead of the approved duties and taxes of GH¢36,597.15 to clear three Toyota V8 Land Cruisers.”
He is also accused of allegedly abusing his office as a public officer for his private benefit by “selling three Toyota V8 Land Cruisers with registration numbers GR 2220-18, GR 2221-18 and GR 2222-18 meant to be used for your official duties as a Member of Parliament to Kendrick Akwasi Marfo of ATLAS-Rent-A-Car at a price of GH¢40,000 each.”
