The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has initiated internal steps to discipline a senior executive officer of the Parliamentary Service, Thomas Bosompem, for releasing the draft “Hansard” of Thursday, 17 October 2024 to the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The draft “Hansard” formed the basis of Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s ex-parte application to the Supreme Court which saw the apex court of the land ordering a stay of the decision of the Speaker declaring four seats vacant in the House.
The decision of the Speaker is contained in a query memo written to Thomas Bosompem by the editor of debates, chamber reporting dated Monday, 21 October 2024 which Asaase News has sighted.
“Pursuant to Regulation 51(c) and (o) of the Parliamentary Service (Staff) Regulations, 2019, (C. I. 1 18), explain why disciplinary action should not be instituted against you for photocopying the draft “Hansard” of Thursday, 17 October, 2024, and making same available to some other persons without authorisation.
“Your response should be submitted to the Editor of Debates, Chamber Reporting, by 4.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 23 October 2024,” the memo read.
On Thursday, 17 October 2024, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin in a ruling following an application by the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, declared four parliamentary seats vacant. The legislators and seats affected by the Speaker’s ruling were; Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, MP for Amenfi Central in the Western Region, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, MP for Fomena, Ashanti Region (Independent), Kwadjo Asante, MP for Suhum, Eastern Region (NPP) and Cynthia Morrison, MP for Agona West, Central Region.
However, lawyers of the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin proceeded to the Supreme Court on Friday, 18 October 2024 with an ex-parte application praying the apex court of the land to stay the enforcement of the ruling of the Speaker.
A five-member Supreme Court panel presided over by the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, granted the ex-parte motion and ordered the parties to file their statements of case within seven days to allow the court to deal expeditiously with the substantive application before them seeking interpretation of Article 97 (1) (g) and (h) of the 1992 constitution.
