KT Hammond, a co-chair of the eight-member ad hoc committee that probed the censure motion against Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, has said that the committee did not establish any evidence of wrongdoing against Mr Ofori-Atta.
He said this on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, December 8, during the debate on the committee’s report.
Dr Dominic Ayine, also a co-chair of the ad hoc committee, had said that unassailable evidence of misconduct had been established against Ken Ofori-Atta while seconding the motion for the debate.
On this basis, he called for a secret ballot on the motion.
However, Mr Hammond insisted that they made no such findings.
“The committee was not able to come out with any findings[against Mr Ofori-Atta],” he insisted.
During his opening remarks, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, said the procedure he adopted to handle the censure motion “is well rooted in law.”
He added that the committee proceedings had vindicated his decision.
“I am convinced that the public hearing conducted by the committee has vindicated my decision and allayed the fears of all those who had thought otherwise.”
“Fortified by this conviction, I rule that the referral of the motion to pass a resolution on a vote of censure on the Minister of Finance to an ad-hoc committee for inquiry is proper and in accordance with the law”, he stated.
Background
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, referred the vote of a censure motion against Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta to an ad hoc committee of Parliament.
The committee, composed of eight members, with four from each side of the House, was expected to submit its report for consideration within seven days.
NDC Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East, Dominic Ayine, and NPP MP for Adansi-Asokwa KT Hammond were committee co-chairs.
Mr Bagbin gave the directive after the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, moved the motion for the vote of censure on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
It will be recalled that on October 25, 2022, the Minority in Parliament filed a censure motion against the Finance Minister in compliance with Article 82 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
The Minority explained that the decision was based on the “alarming incompetence resulting in the collapse of the Ghanaian economy” and some ethical breaches.