Member of Parliament for the Akatsi North Constituency, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, has emphasized the importance of allowing the Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson, to perform his constitutional duties without hindrance.
Nortsu-Kotoe stated that when the Minority Leader is absent from parliament due to court proceedings, it is not appropriate for the minority members to be present in the house.
He defended the decision of NDC legislators to stay away from parliament whenever the Minority Leader is required in court for the ongoing ambulance procurement trial.
“The NDC Minority caucus will only be available for the business of parliament after proceedings of the court have ended on the days scheduled for the hearing of the ongoing ambulance case trial,” the NDC said in a statement.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson is facing prosecution for allegedly causing a financial loss of 2.3 million Euros in the procurement of ambulances for the country. The case has sparked controversy, with Attorney General Godfred Dame being accused of witness tampering in an alleged attempt to secure a conviction against the Minority Leader at all costs.
Speaking on the JoyNews AM show, Mr Nortsu-Kotoe said, “He [Minority Leader] has some constitutional duties to perform, and we are saying that allow him time to do his work.”
He added that, by consensus, the judge could allow Dr Ato Forson to fulfil his constitutional duties and attend court proceedings later.
“We are not saying we won’t come to parliament; anytime he is attending to court, we will follow him to court,” he added.