Parliament Cameras Failed To Identify “Daughter of a Murderer” Culprit

Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, has made a startling revelation that several CCTV cameras within Ghana’s Parliament chamber failed to capture the MP who made derogatory remarks against Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP for Klottey Korle, during parliamentary proceedings on February 4, 2025.

The incident occurred when an unidentified MP interrupted proceedings and shouted, “Daughter of a murderer, sit down!” during a debate on the floor of Parliament.

A year after the incident, leadership of the House says none of the cameras in the chamber captured the moment to help identify the culprit. Efforts by Parliament to obtain video footage from other sources, including the media, also proved unsuccessful.

Speaking on Joy FM, Mr. Dafeamekpor disclosed that although the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, ordered a probe into the matter, it has been difficult to secure video evidence for presentation before the Privileges Committee handling the case.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Rasheed Draman, has described Parliament’s delay in addressing cases referred to the Privileges Committee as embarrassing. He questioned why incidents that occurred more than a year ago remain unresolved.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Wednesday, May 20, Dr. Draman expressed concern over the slow pace in handling matters arising from the chaos that erupted during proceedings at the Appointments Committee, saying the delays undermine public confidence in Parliament.

“It’s quite sad. I’ve listened to the playback of what the Right Honourable Speaker said, and these matters, particularly the chaos at the Appointments Committee referred to the Privileges Committee, and then this matter involving the Honourable Member for Klottey Korle,” he stated.

Reflecting on the unresolved cases, Dr. Draman said Parliament needs a more effective system to monitor and follow up on disciplinary matters involving lawmakers.

“I think it’s about time Parliament set up some kind of office within the legislature to keep a register of all matters referred to the Privileges Committee and ensure regular follow-up,” he stated.

According to him, it is unacceptable that individuals accused of destroying public property during parliamentary proceedings have yet to face sanctions more than a year later.

Dr. Draman argued that ordinary citizens would likely have faced immediate legal consequences under similar circumstances.

“It’s embarrassing that today we are talking about these matters one year later and that people are walking freely after destroying public property,” he stressed.

“If it were an ordinary Ghanaian who destroyed public property, the person would have been rotting in jail by now. Our MPs are the ones who must set a good example,” he added.

The governance expert warned that Parliament risks losing public trust if disciplinary processes continue to drag on without clear outcomes. He maintained that lawmakers, as representatives of the people, must be held to high ethical and professional standards to preserve the integrity of the legislative institution.

Dr. Draman also condemned the “daughter of a murderer” comment directed at the daughter of late former President Jerry John Rawlings, describing the remark as inappropriate and unbecoming of a sitting MP.

“With the daughter of the late Rawlings, somebody who devoted several decades to building our democracy, I think that’s not how to remember our leaders. Coming from a sitting MP, it is an embarrassment to our legislative institution,” he said.