The Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the chaos that disrupted the ministerial vetting, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, has dismissed claims from the Minority that he is biased.
According to him, allegations made by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin in a petition to the Speaker of Parliament, regarding breaches of impartiality and confidentiality and claims that purportedly compromise the integrity of the committee’s work are unfounded.
Speaking to JoyNews’ Parliamentary Correspondent, Kwaku Asante after the committee’s sitting on Friday, February 7, Mr Bedzrah stated that he had not encountered any valid accusations of bias against him.
“I’m not biased, you have all seen what we have done here and we were surprised that they [Minority] were not here,” he said.
His remarks follow a request from the Minority Leader for his recusal as Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee.
In a petition addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Afenyo-Markin raised concerns about Mr Bedzrah’s alleged breaches of impartiality and confidentiality, arguing that they had compromised the committee’s neutrality.
He further highlighted several instances where Mr Bedzrah allegedly made public statements that undermined the credibility of the committee’s work.
Commenting further on a press conference held by the Vice Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee and Minority MP for Asante-Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi—who also accused him of bias and announced that the Minority would not participate in the proceedings, Mr Bedzrah expressed surprise at the allegations.
According to him, Mr Anyimadu-Antwi was present at the committee’s first sitting, which was focused on probing the disturbances during the ministerial vetting, and had not raised any concerns at the time.
“He was here with us so I don’t know where that accusation of bias comes from so he has to identify where I was biased,” he said.
Addressing the petition submitted to the Speaker of Parliament, which called for his removal from the committee, Mr Bedzrah noted that the Speaker would first have to admit the memo for consideration, saying “We would have to continue our work on Monday.”
He further mentioned that witnesses from the Minority had been invited to testify, but despite prior assurances, they had failed to appear.
“We are waiting for them on Monday. If they are not here, we will revoke constitutional provisions as well as the Standing Orders,” he added.
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