Minority�s Statement On Atta Akyea�s Arrest Is Prejudicial � Kwesi Pratt

Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has described as prejudicial the Minority Caucus in Parliament�s position on the arrest of the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea, since the matter is before a competent court of jurisdiction. According to him, the case of the prosecution may falter in court or it may be upheld in court and the case of the accuse person may also falter in court. The Abuakwa South MP, Samuel Atta Akyea was apprehended by the police while in court, upon complaints of theft and dishonest breach of trust leveled against him by one Joseph Adom, a contractor. The Minority in Parliament believe the arrest of their colleague on Tuesday, 12 July, 2011 is a calculated attempt by the government to harass and humiliate the NPP�s Member of Parliament. The Minority caucus consequently asked the government to desist from influencing the prosecution of its members through the Attorney-General. Speaking on Radio Gold�s �Alhaji and Alhaji� political discussion programme, Mr. Pratt said the Minority�s statement to the effect that the arrest of Atta Akyea was a ploy by the government to teach him a political lesson was untenable and deleterious. �In every matter, the case of the prosecution may falter in court and it may be upheld in court and the case of the accuse person may also falter in court so why are we not allowing the legal processes to take their course? Why are we all making prejudicial statements because the statements made by the minority are very prejudicial and indeed they constitute an abuse of privilege,� he noted. According to him, the 1992 Constitution which the Minority claims to be defending stipulates clearly that all should adhere to the principles of separation of powers, but the Minority is behaving counter to that. �The same constitution that the Minority claims to be defending stipulates very clearly that we should adhere to the principles of separation of powers. If a case is before court and a section of parliament makes categorical statements to the effect that the case has no merit and that it is a political case and it is been tried in order to teach somebody a political lessons and so on; it is so prejudicial and definitely constitutes an abuse of the privileges in parliament and it is in clear violation of the spirit and letter of the constitution,� he added. He emphasized that the arrest of the NPP MP was nothing new since it was not the first time a Parliamentarian had been arrested under the Mills� administration. He questioned the reaction by Parliamentarians when Hon. Twumasi Appiah (NDC MP for Sene) was arrested and the comments being passed by the House now regarding the arrest of Hon Atta Akyea, pointing out the importance of remaining principled. �If Parliament is behaving differently from what they did during the arrest of Mr. Twumasi Appiah because he is a member of the NDC then there is a case of discrimination and selectivity,� he added.