Prof Dodoo pardoned, discharged

Source: myjoyonline.com - Parliament has pardoned and discharged Prof. Alex Dodoo, a lecturer at the School of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Ghana for the contemptuous comments he made against Members of Parliament.

The decision was announced on the floor of Parliament, Friday, Joy News' Parliamentary correspondent Elton John Brobbey reported.

The Privileges Committee, which sat on the reported case of contempt against Prof Dodoo, recommended that the Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacology be discharged following the bout of apologies he issued before and after the sitting.

Prof Alex Dodoo was hauled before the Privileges Committee of Parliament when in commenting on the controversially suspended Ebola Vaccine Trial asked MPs to "shut up" if they were not informed on issues relating to the trials.

The MPs had early on raised objections to the trial that was set to take place in Hohoe in the Volta Region.

They argued that Parliament had not been informed about the vaccine trial for a disease that had claimed thousands of human lives in the West African sub-region.

They therefore asked the Health Ministry to suspend the trial until thorough education campaign has been held.

But Prof Dodoo in an interview with TV3 thought there were other statutory institutions like the Food and Drugs Board mandated to oversee the successful execution of a clinical trial without asking for Parliament's permission.

He said if the MPs were not informed about the processes involved in undertaking a clinical trial then they better shut up.

His comment got the MPs angry, and they hauled him before the Privileges Committee of Parliament for disciplinary action to be taken against him.

But the Prof in the company of his lawyer, Yonni Kulendi came with a well thought out strategy to beg and did not miss any opportunity to do so.

At every turn of the hearing Kulendi begged the MPs to forgive his client for his rather harsh comment, insisting that Prof Dodoo, who has a track record of working with institutions of state, cannot intentionally insult MPs or undermine the sanctity of Parliament.

He said Prof Dodoo's "shut up" comment was inappropriate, and if the MPs deem it insulting, he duly apologises for it.

When Prof Dodoo mounted the witness box, he agreed entirely with his lawyer and joined the chorus in rendering an unqualified apology to the MPs.

Days after the hearing Kulendi again apologised for the comment on Joy FM's Newsfile programme.

It appears the apologies have convinced the MPs and the committee have duly recommended his discharge.

The House debated the recommendation for several minutes before finally approving the report.

But the House is yet to take a decision on the Blakk Rasta case. The former Hitz FM presenter accused the MPs of engaging in criminal activity but has also apologised for his comment.