The adhoc committee set up by the Speaker of Parliament and chaired by Mr Joe Ghartey, to investigate the recent bribery allegations in Parliament on Thursday made known its findings and recommendations.
In a 50-page document, the committee concluded that the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mr Mahama Ayariga who made the allegation was guilty of contempt of Parliament and subsequently asked that he should be made to apologise to Parliament.
When Mr Ayariga was asked by the Speaker to apologise, he used the opportunity to explain his point and raised some legal issues but concluded by rendering an apology in the following words: "If you say I apologise, I apologise."
Below is a summary of the report:
The confusion followed an apology that Mr. Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central rendered per the recommendation of the Joe Ghartey committee, that the MPs on the majority side felt it was not appropriate.
Earlier, the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, asked Mr. Ayariga to come to the bar to render an unqualified apology but that decision was changed for him to apologise from his sitting place after the intervention of the Minority Leader, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, and the Second Deputy Speaker, Mr. Alban Bagbin.
But Mr. Ayariga used the opportunity to explain his point and raise some legal issues.
He started by referring to the prayer said by the Speaker in the morning to the effect that: "We humbly beseech thee to look in favour upon this House with discernment..."
Mr. Ayariga said he rose up to make a comment before the Speaker put the question for the adoption of the report, but he could not catch the eye of the Speaker.
He referred to an earlier sitting during which Mr. Osei Owusu told the House that he (Ayariga) had said in a conclave that the allegation was for equalisation, and indicated that he did not rise to challenge that claim it was used against him in the report.
Mr. Ayariga said he did not know whether the primary concern of the investigation was to get the truth or bring a closure to the issue.
He said the public had an eye on what pertained in Parliament, regarding the bribery case, saying "They are discerning minds and listening to us how we conduct ourselves."
Challenges jurisdiction of the committee
Mr Ayariga, who is a lawyer, was reminded by the Speaker to restrict himself to the apology on two occasions, but he said he would do himself great disservice if he did not raise the legal issues for the consideration of the Speaker.
He questioned whether the committee had the power to draw a conclusion on the matter of contempt.
He said issues of contempt were clearly defined in the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Mr. Ayariga again asked why the committee used criminal standards to determine the burden of truth in the matter.
He said if the criminal standards were used, then he should have also been given the opportunity to cross-examine the other members.
Mr. Ayariga concluded by rendering an apology in the following words: "If you say I apologise, I apologise."