Go and sin no more – Speaker pardons Ayariga

The Speaker of Parliament, Right Honourable Professor Mike Oquaye has pardoned Bawku Central Member of Parliament (MP), Mahama Ayariga over the contempt of Parliament charge that was preferred against him by the Ghartey committee.

The Bawku Central MP was found guilty of contempt of Parliament after the ad-hoc committee set up by to investigate his claims on Accra-based Radio Gold that Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko had attempted to bribe some members of the Appointments Committee through its chairman, Joseph Osei-Owusu and Minority Chief Whip Mohammed Muntaka presented its findings ruled that “Mr Ayariga failed to prove indeed that Hon. Boakye Agyarko gave money to Hon. Joseph Osei-Owusu to be distributed to members of the Appointments Committee with a view to bribe them”.

The committee thus recommended, “that Mr Mahama Ayariga renders an unqualified apology to the House, purging himself of contempt”.

But Mr Ayariga who was not pleased by the committee’s conclusion, unwillingly rendered the apology saying “Mr Speaker, if you say I should I apologise, I apologise”.

This unwilling apology angered the Rt. Hon. Ocquaye who announced that he would give his ruling on the matter at later sitting.

After some bashing from the public over the qualified apology he rendered, it emerged that Mr Ayariga had sought for a second chance to apologise.

READ ALSO: Ayariga asks for second chance to render unqualified apology

This second apology came in the form of a one-paragraph letter dated April 3, 2017.

Ruling on the matter today [Friday] April 7, 2017, the Speaker who cited several contempt cases in other countries, agreed that the Bawku Central MP was indeed guilty of the contempt charge brought against him by the Ghartey committee.

He, however, exercised his prerogative of mercy on the Mr Ayariga and cautioned him to go and sin no more.

The Speaker’s ruling came after Mr Ayariga submitted a written unqualified apology to the House.