Diplomatic passport row rocks Parliament as Minority stages walkout

Parliament was thrown into a tense confrontation on Tuesday, November 3, after Speaker Alban Bagbin ordered the Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, out of the chamber following a heated disagreement over allegations that diplomatic passports were being sold for as much as $50,000.

The dispute, which ended with the Minority caucus abandoning proceedings in protest, erupted during a parliamentary discussion on the issuance of diplomatic passports, a process undertaken on the authority of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Contributing to the debate, Mr Jinapor alleged that he had evidence that diplomatic passports were being sold for between $10,000 and $50,000.

He called for an investigation into the alleged transactions, raising concerns about the integrity of the process through which the travel documents were issued.

His remarks drew an immediate challenge from the Majority Leader, James Agalga, who demanded that the Damongo MP produce evidence to support the claim or withdraw it.

Speaker Bagbin also intervened, directing Mr Jinapor to substantiate the allegation or retract it.

However, the exchange between the Speaker and the MP became increasingly heated as Mr Jinapor maintained his position before eventually withdrawing the allegation.

Despite the withdrawal, Mr Bagbin directed the Marshal of Parliament to escort the MP out of the chamber, citing his failure to comply promptly with the earlier directive.

The order provoked a protest from the Minority caucus, whose members subsequently walked out of the chamber in solidarity with their colleague.

The incident brought proceedings to a halt and exposed tensions between the two sides of the House over the handling of allegations made during parliamentary debate.