News:
July 15, 2021
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has once again reminded members of parliament of the limit of their privileges to free speech and where they can exercise it without consequences.
According to him, the Privileges of free speech for MPs is only in the House and does not extend to outside the Parliament House, including radio and television programme among others.
The Speaker said the privileges to free speech “applies in full force in plenary sessions and committee sessions, not when the persons are outside debating issues or on radio or TV. You don’t have that right, that privilege to just say anything because you are a member of parliament, not at all. You are not above the law. “
According to him, it is for good reason because they represent a large number of people, hence they are given the full immunity to be able to say anything that the people want them to say. “That is why you say it here and you are covered”, but it does not permit them to just say anything anywhere.
His caution followed a report lodged against the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, and Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who is alleged to have made life-threatening comments against Erastus Asare Donkor, a journalist with the Multi-Media Group during a Net 2 TV programme “the Attitude”, that has brought the name of the House into disrepute.
Mr. Agyapong is said to have
- called for the ‘serious’ beating of Erastus Asare Donkor;
- asserted that “we should beat the hell out of “Erastus Asare Donkor; and
- threatened that if he (Honourable Agyapong) were the President of Ghana, he would have ensured that Erastus Asare Donkor is beaten mercilessly.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com