The Minority Caucus in Parliament on Tuesday, November 3, staged a walkout after Speaker Alban Bagbin ordered the Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, out of the chamber following a disagreement over allegations that diplomatic passports were being sold for between $10,000 and $50,000.
The incident occurred during a parliamentary discussion on the issuance of diplomatic passports, which are granted on the authority of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Contributing to the discussion, Mr Jinapor alleged that he had evidence of diplomatic passports being sold for amounts ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 and called for an investigation into the alleged practice.
However, his claims were challenged by the Majority Leader, James Agalga, who demanded that he substantiate the allegations or withdraw them.
Speaker Bagbin subsequently directed the Damongo MP to provide evidence to support his claims or retract the statement.
Mr Jinapor, however, maintained his position, leading to a tense exchange between him and the Speaker.
Although the MP eventually withdrew the allegation following the prolonged exchange, Speaker Bagbin ordered the Parliamentary Marshal to escort him out of the chamber, citing his failure to comply promptly with the directive.
The decision prompted the Minority Caucus to stage a walkout in solidarity with Mr Jinapor, bringing further attention to the disagreement over the handling of the allegations in the chamber.
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