NationalNews Letter

Old Tafo MP Justifies President’s Approval: AG’s Office Did Not Provide Advice on E-Levy Bill When Sent to Court

Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the MP for Old Tafo, has defended President Akufo-Addo’s decision to approve the E-levy bill despite facing two injunctions filed at the Supreme Court at the time.

Assafuah stated that the Office of the Attorney-General did not advise the Presidency to refrain from approving the bill.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, Assafuah argued that it is unreasonable for Ghanaians, particularly the Minority in Parliament, to draw comparisons between the controversy surrounding the recently passed anti-LGBTQ bill and the circumstances surrounding the E-levy.

Read also: Don’t transmit the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill to Akufo-Addo – Presidency to Parliament

“Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution gives the Attorney General (AG) the authority or the mandate to be the principal or chief adviser to the president.

“As far as I am aware, I did not see any advice from the AG’s office when the E-levy was sent to court.

“It is also within the mandate of the lawyers in the case to move an application in court to cite someone for contempt of court if that person is believed to do something that goes against the dictate of the law.

“If the lawyers failed to do that then it is very difficult for me to answer for them and also the rules of the court allow the court itself to cite someone for contempt without any application or whatever emanating from someone and so if the court also did not see it relevant to cite the President for contempt, (I cannot answer to that).

“…Remember Article 2 of the Constitution says when someone is cited for Contempt of Parliament, especially in the person of the President, it is high crime which can result in his removal,” he explained.

Read also: Supreme Court in a unanimous 7-0 decision dismisses Minority MPs’ injunction case against e-levy

On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, some three Minority MPs filed a suit against the implementation of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).

This came after the bill was passed by the Majority Caucus on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, despite a walkout by the Minority Caucus.

Members of the Minority argue that the levy would exacerbate the difficulties faced by Ghanaians amidst harsh economic conditions.

Subsequently, the MPs sought an injunction against the implementation pending their substantive case, but this did not halt the implementation.

Nonetheless, on March 18, the Presidency sent a letter to Parliament, signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, requesting Parliament to abstain from transmitting the anti-LGBTQ+ bill to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his assent.

According to Nana Bediatuo Asante, this decision is based on the acknowledgment of two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction before the Supreme Court.

The letter stressed the impropriety of Parliament continuing to transmit the Bill to President Akufo-Addo for any action until the matters before the court are resolved.

Additionally, it was revealed that the Attorney-General has advised the President against taking any action regarding the Bill until the legal issues raised in the lawsuits are resolved by the Supreme Court.

Also read: Parliament suspends approval of Akufo-Addo’s new ministers, deputies amid row over anti-gay bill

Touching on the directive from the Presidency to Parliament, the Tafo MP said he saw nothing wrong with the stance of the President.

He stressed that the interested parties in the e-levy suit should have triggered a contempt of court process against the Presidency instead of comparing the two issues.

What's your reaction?

Excited
0
Happy
0
In Love
0
Not Sure
0
Silly
0

You may also like

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in:National