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General News of Tuesday, 4 June 2019

Source: kingdomfmonline.com

Mahama Ayariga heads to Supreme Court to challenge ruling on MP’s immunity

Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central

The Member Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga is heading to the Supreme Court.

This follows an Accra High Court ruling that the MP is obliged by law to stand trial in a criminal case filed against him by the Special Prosecutor.

According to Justice Afia Serwah Asare- Botwe, per Article 118 of the 1992 Constitution, MPs have immunity not to attend court in the course of their duty only when they have been invited to testify in court as witnesses.

According to her, since Ayariga is an accused person and not a witness, he is not immune to stand trial.

Kingdom FM’s Court Correspondent, Ama Brako Ampofo reported that Justice Botwe made the ruling following a certificate filed at the court’s registry by the Speaker of Parliament asking the court to exempt Ayariga from the trial because he was attending parliamentary proceedings.

The case has been adjourned to June 10, for Ayariga’s lawyers to move an application challenging the appropriateness of the charges levelled against him. Watch the video of the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu on the NDC’s preparedness for the Supreme Court.