Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye has dismissed calls by some Members of Parliament for a parliamentary inquiry into the Airbus bribery scandal involving the Mills-Mahama administrations.
The Speaker’s ruling follows a call made by Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. Ntim Fordjour for parliament to get involved in the investigations since the issue is of national concern.
The MP for Assin South Hon Rev Ntim Fordjour said parliament’s probe was important to uncover the identities of Government Official 1 and Intermediary 5, who were named as the local accomplices in the international saga.
The submission of the Assin South MP generated heated debate on the subject on the floor of the House from both sides of the House.
Contributing to the debate, Deputy Minority Leader Ahmed Ibrahim argued that the call for parliamentary inquiry Ntim Fordjour breaches Order 93 ( 1) of Parliament because MPs are barred from making such requests on matters which are already under judicial inquiry.
Making his stance known on the issue, Rt Hon. Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye posited even though it is within the power of House to commence investigations into issues of national interest, Parliament should wait for the outcome of the ongoing probe by the Special Prosecutor since the matter has been directed to that office by the President.
He remarked that it was premature for any parliamentary inquiry at the moment considering the circumstances of the matter in its totality and the technical prerequisite for examining it in full.
According to the facts of that case, which judgement was delivered last week, Airbus SE, allegedly doled out financial inducements to some government officials in some countries including Ghana for the benefit of contracts.
The bribes were paid between 2009 and 2015 when late JEA Mills and John Mahama, the NDC flagbearer were governing the nation.