NGSJF petitions Ghana Airports, IGP over Adwoa Safo travel records and 2021 parliamentary vote

The New Ghana Social Justice Forum (NGSJF) has petitioned the Ghana Airports Company Limited to provide, subject to applicable laws and lawful disclosure procedures, relevant travel information concerning former Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo.

The organisation wants the records to help establish whether Hon. Adwoa Safo was physically present in Ghana on November 30, 2021, when Parliament considered and voted on the approval of the 2022 Budget.

The NGSJF has also petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hon. Adwoa Safo’s reported participation in parliamentary proceedings on that date.

It is asking the police to take appropriate action, including prosecution where a lawful investigation establishes that an offence was committed.

The matter relates to questions that arose over Hon. Adwoa Safo’s presence and participation in Parliament during the proceedings on November 30, 2021.

At the time, Hon. Adwoa Safo was reported to have maintained that she personally attended Parliament on the day and denied allegations that another person had impersonated her.

The NGSJF said its objective was not to prejudge the former MP but to establish the facts through documentary evidence and an independent investigation.

Why the travel records matter
The organisation is asking the Ghana Airports Company Limited to establish whether official records exist showing Hon. Adwoa Safo’s arrival in or departure from Ghana around the relevant date.

Where legally permissible, the requested information could include relevant airport and flight records or confirmation of whether such records are held by another competent authority.

According to the NGSJF, independently verifying the former MP’s movements could assist investigators in determining whether she was physically present in Ghana at the time of the parliamentary proceedings.

The organisation has also asked the Ghana Airports Company Limited, if the records cannot lawfully be disclosed directly to it, to identify the appropriate legal procedure or competent authority through which the information could be obtained for the purposes of the public-interest investigation.

Petition to the Inspector-General of Police

In a separate petition to the IGP, the NGSJF called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the parliamentary proceedings and Hon. Adwoa Safo’s reported participation.

Among other things, the organisation wants investigators to establish whether Hon. Adwoa Safo was physically present in Ghana on November 30, 2021, and whether official travel records can independently establish her movements around the relevant period.

It also wants investigators to determine whether there is credible evidence that another person impersonated or purported to act on behalf of a Member of Parliament and whether anyone knowingly participated in parliamentary proceedings or voting through impersonation or other unlawful means.

The NGSJF further wants any evidence of an offence to be assessed to determine whether further legal action, including prosecution by the appropriate authority, is warranted.

The organisation stressed that any decision to prosecute must be based on evidence obtained through a lawful investigation and the applicable legal process.

Parliamentary integrity and public interest

The NGSJF said the integrity of parliamentary proceedings was fundamental to Ghana’s constitutional democracy.

It noted that parliamentary voting is governed by constitutional and procedural requirements and argued that concerns about the identity and participation of a Member of Parliament in a parliamentary vote should be open to investigation where credible questions are raised.

The organisation also referred to Article 104 of the 1992 Constitution, which deals with voting in Parliament, and Article 122, which concerns contempt of Parliament.

It, however, acknowledged that the application of any criminal or parliamentary provision must ultimately be determined by the appropriate competent authorities.

NGSJF: “We want the facts established”

The President of the New Ghana Social Justice Forum, Yahaya Alhassan, said the organisation wanted the matter resolved through evidence rather than speculation.

According to the NGSJF, the request for travel records is intended to establish a factual timeline and provide investigators with potentially relevant evidence.

The organisation said if the evidence establishes that no wrongdoing occurred, that should equally be made clear.

Conversely, it said, where a lawful investigation establishes evidence of an offence, the appropriate authorities should take the necessary action in accordance with the law.

Parliament Watch Project
The petition forms part of the NGSJF’s broader Parliament Watch Project, which seeks to promote transparency, accountability and public confidence in Ghana’s democratic institutions.

The organisation said it had previously undertaken advocacy on parliamentary and political reforms, including campaigns against the former delegate voting system and calls for greater transparency and accountability in political participation.

It said the latest petition was consistent with its efforts to ensure that parliamentary processes were subjected to appropriate public scrutiny while respecting the rule of law and due process.

Call for institutional cooperation
The NGSJF has called on the Ghana Airports Company Limited, the Ghana Police Service and any other competent state institution holding relevant records to cooperate with the lawful process of establishing the facts.

The organisation said it was prepared to comply with all applicable legal and administrative requirements necessary to pursue the matter.

It also indicated that it had attached supporting correspondence to its petitions, including a letter from the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice recognising its work in promoting good governance, as well as correspondence from the Ghana Police Service concerning merit-based aspirants and effective parliamentary business.

According to the NGSJF, the central issue requiring clarification is whether Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo was physically present in Ghana on November 30, 2021, and what the available records and evidence establish about her participation in the parliamentary proceedings on that day.