The Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka has cast doubt on the genuineness of the Fisheries Minister-designate Hawa Koomson’s apology for firing a gun at a polling station.

His scepticism of her apology follows the remorse expressed by Madam Koomson during her vetting on Thursday for firing shots at a polling centre during the 2020 voters' registration exercise.

Although she explained that the act was in self-defence because she thought her life was in danger, she promised, hereafter, not to resort to that mode of defence.

“I want to seize the opportunity to apologise to the people who were scared that day,” she told Parliament’s Appointment Committee.

But taking his turn, Mr Muntaka said the Awutu Senya East MP's apology is without sincerity, considering the fact that she is unaware of the ramification of her actions that day. This was in particular reference to the injuries that may have been incurred by her constituents who were caught in the act.

He accused the Minister-designate of only apologising because she has appeared before the Appointments Committee.

According to the Asawase MP, as a concerned representative of her constituents, Madam Koomson should have taken the pains to probe further into the repercussion of the chaos caused by her actions, such as visiting the victims.

“We are all MPs, incidents do happen in our constituencies, sometimes supporters of your opponents but when you hear people are injured you try to comfort them. To let them know that it was not deliberate. So when you apologise, people will believe that it is sincere.

“But if something of this nature happens in your constituency - with all the news around it - you never find out those who were injured and to visit them, and you come to Appointments Committee and you say ‘O, I am sorry,’ you make it difficult for me to believe the sincerity of the apology,” he said.

However, Madam Koomson, defended herself, denying any knowledge that anyone got injured in the disturbance.

“Well, I read some stories but I never heard about people being injured and blood flowing here and there.

“Mr Chairman, I mentioned that the incident was out of the polling centre. The polling centre was on the compound of a house and the incident happened outside of the compound. So I didn’t see what happened in the compound.

Mr Muntaka further insisted, saying, “So you mean to say when persons have been injured as a result for the fracas that happened at the polling or near the polling station as the MP you never took pain to find out whether some people were injured and others property were destroyed?”

Madam Koomson, however, stood her ground that “the best of my knowledge, nobody was injured in that day.”