The Kaneshie District Court yesterday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the Madina Member of Parliament (MP), Francis-Xavier Sosu after he failed to appear before the court on charges of demonstrating in his constituency to protest bad roads.
This is the third time the Madina MP could not appear in court on grounds by his lawyers that he has been attending Parliamentary duties all this while the case had been called.
The warrant was issued after the prosecution argued that the MP was showing disrespect to the court by being absent.
According to the lawyer, the MP was involved in work for the Constitutional and Legal Committee of Parliament, which had resumed public sittings on the anti-LGBTQ bill.
The police contended that the protest included some unlawful acts, hence an attempt to arrest the MP.
Mr Sosu has said police manhandled him on the day of the protest when they first tried to arrest him.
This led to him filing a complaint in Parliament against two police officers.
There were also police officers present at a church service to arrest the MP, although the police have denied that there was an attempt to arrest him at the church.
This compelled the police to secure a criminal summons for Mr Sosu on November 8, 2021.
The MP, however, missed the court date because he was out of the country.
On November 16, 2021, he failed to show up again in court.
Mr Sosu filed a motion asking for the enforcement of his right to freedom of movement, right to protest and demonstrate, right to personal liberty, right to freedom of expression, and right against unlawful arrest and malicious prosecution.
The motion was accompanied by an injunction application to restrain any further arrest until a determination of the Human Rights action.
