Narcotics Probe: Afenyo-Markin Rejects Bagbin’s Reasoning for Dismissing Motion
The Minority Leader says pending court cases should not prevent Parliament from examining broader institutional issues surrounding major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana.
- Afenyo-Markin rejects Bagbin’s ruling.
- Bagbin says motion overlaps court cases.
- Minority vows to pursue other avenues.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has rejected Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to dismiss a Minority motion seeking a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Speaker erred by relying on ongoing criminal proceedings to determine the scope of Parliament’s proposed inquiry.
According to him, pending court cases should not prevent Parliament from examining broader institutional and systemic issues surrounding the seizures.
Speaker Bagbin ruled on Tuesday, September 29, that the motion was inadmissible because the proposed inquiry substantially overlapped with matters currently before the courts and could prejudice ongoing judicial proceedings.
Reacting to the ruling, Mr Afenyo-Markin said Parliament’s oversight responsibilities should not be weakened by pending criminal cases.
“Mr Speaker, therefore, got it wrong by using existing pending criminal proceedings to determine the scope and manner of the inquiry,” he said.
The Minority Leader maintained that the proposed inquiry was intended to examine the conduct, administration and effectiveness of public institutions involved in the narcotics seizures, rather than determine the guilt or innocence of individuals before the courts.
The motion, filed by First Deputy Minority Whip and Tolon MP Habib Iddrisu on September 28, sought the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate how major narcotics consignments were processed, inspected, cleared and exported from Ghana.
It cited the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at France’s Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026, as well as the seizure of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine by Australian authorities in June 2026.
However, Speaker Bagbin said allowing the inquiry to proceed could require Parliament to examine evidence, transactions, witnesses and questions of responsibility directly connected to matters before the courts.
He therefore ruled the private members’ motion inadmissible under Standing Orders 5, 6 and 103, Sub-Rule F.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Minority would continue to pursue the matter through other constitutional and parliamentary avenues.
He stressed that effective parliamentary oversight was necessary to ensure accountability within state institutions.
“We, the Minority, we’ll proceed on this path because democracy requires a strong Parliament. A strong Parliament requires an effective Minority,” he said.
The Speaker subsequently adjourned Parliament until further notice following the ruling.
