MPs 'immunity committee' needless – Abotsi

Kofi Abotsi

A law lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kofi Abotsi has described as a futile exercise, the establishment of a parliamentary committee to address breaches of a constitutional provision granting MPs immunity from arrest.

The committee was set up Monday following the Minority's complaints about what it says has been the unlawful arrests of MPs over the years, with the most recent being the arrest of the Aburi-Nsawam MP Mr. O.B. Amoah.

But Mr. Abotsi says since the provision is grounded in the constitution, Parliament should rather go to the Supreme Court.

The committee comprising five MPs from the minority and another five from the majority has up to the end of the week to bring their recommendations for debate and adoption by the house.

The Constitution provides that a Member of Parliament cannot be arrested whilst he is attending to business in Parliament or is on his way to, or returning from Parliament, a provision critics say, is unacceptable and is a clear attempt to put law makers above the same laws they pass.