The fate of Prof. Alex Dodoo, Chairman of the Global Vaccine Safety Initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), is to be decided on Thursday July 23, in a case in which he is alleged to have made contemptuous comment against Ghana’s Parliament.
Former Radio Presenter and Reggae Musician for Hitz FM, Abubakar Ahmed, otherwise known as Blakk Rasta, will also know his fate on Thursday.
While Professor Dodoo is alleged to have tagged parliamentarians as ignorant and asked them to shut up following their comments on the yet-to-be conducted Ebola Vaccine trial, Blakk Rasta, is also alleged to have stated in a programme on Hitz FM, that 80% of Ghana’s MPs smoke marijuana.
Blakk Rasta has since resigned from Hitz FM following the debacle.
The two comments have been considered an affront to the integrity of Parliament, after some members of the house complained to Parliament’s Privileges committee, where the accused persons and their witnesses were invited for questioning.
Although the two men and their lawyers have profusely apologized for their comments deemed offensive to the institution of Parliament, some MPs are of the view it should not end there.
The two have the option to be represented by their lawyers when the legislators sit to rule on the matter.
Parliament is expected to decide on the report by the Privileges Committee on investigations into the contempt case.
Some agitated members of the Privileges Committee of Parliament say the legislature has a mandate to protect its integrity.
“The Parliamentary Act (Act 300)…gives Parliament the power; where the Privileges Committee or where Parliament thinks that a stranger is in contempt to order the Attorney General to prosecute that person”, Emmanuel Bedzrah said in a media interview.
By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/3news.com/Ghana