Parliament is sitting to question Hitz FM presenter popularly known as Blakk Rasta who is facing the privileges committee after alleging 80% of MPs smoke or use 'wee'.

The hearing which started after 1pm is chaired by 1^st Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ebo Barton Oduro

Aboubakar Ahmed popularly called Black Rasta has taken his oath to “ tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”

Blakk Rasta

The Afigya Sekyere East MP David Hennric Yeboah who first raised the issue on the floor of parliament last week takes the stage to present his case by the committee.

He also swears his oath.

He says on 17 June 2015 there was a Daily Searchlight newspaper publication, in which Blakk Rasta “impugned on the integrity of Parliament” 

He adds Blakk Rasta also sought to negate all efforts to fight use of narcotics in the eyes of the international community.

He quotes Standing Orders, Order 32 any acts which affront directly or indirectly the name of Parliament is in contempt of the criminal code and subject to be punished.

He reads the purported article in the Searchlight in which Blakk Rasta calls the MPs hypocrite for refusing to legalise ‘wee’ despite smoking the substance.

Counsel for Blakk Rasta, Thaddeus Sory wants to know if the complainant checked with the newspaper, Searchlight, to confirm if Blakk Rasta indeed made the comment.

Hennric Yeboah says no.

MP David Hennric Yeboah

The Speaker intervenes that Blakk Rasta has not issued a rejoinder if he indeed did not make the comments.

The lawyer says Blakk Rasta has denied making the statements but is yet to issue a rejoinder because he has been overwhelmed by the media buzz since the alleged statement.

The Chairman says his comments are on tape so there should be no problem or controversy.

Lawyer for Blakk Rasta demands to scrutinize the newspaper publication.

Editor of the Searchlight newspaper, Kenneth Agyei Kuranchie swears his oath and takes the witness stand.

Ken Kuranchie

He says he doesn’t know the accused personally. He is shown his own publication and asked to explain how he came by the story. He explains that the publication was culled from Adomonline.com.

Some MPs are questioning the editor. Does he by his journalistic practice just pick stories without checking?, one of them asks.

Ken Kuranchie says journalists depend on the”mutual credibility” of media outlets to go ahead and publish materials.

When did you get notified of the action Parliament wants to take?

He says he got a letter last week but heard the controversy it caused in Parliament last week

Did you attribute the story to Adomonline?, another wants to know.

He says yes he credited the story to Adomonline.

Does he condemn all the things Blakk Rasta said or part?

Ken Kuranchie says people are entitled to their opinions in a democracy but to impugn on the reputation of persons in society is not an action supported by Ghana’s laws.

He responds to a question that if his report were not entirely accurate as the lawyer for Blakk Rasta insists, he is prepared to take necessary steps to protect Rasta's reputation.

Ken Kuranchie says the friends he knows in parliament do not smoke “even cigarette”

A representative from Multimedia, parent company of Adomonline.com George Imbeah who is representing the CEO, Kwasi Twum takes his oath.

He says he has the entire recording of the program, Taxi Driver, which is hosted by Blakk Rasta and tenders it in as evidence.

It is a three-hour program. Too long for parliament to listen to, the Chairman says. The producer of the show is also available to cut out relevant portions of the program, George Imbeah reveals.

He says he has not read the publication in response to a question from an MP.

Has he listened to the tape? No, George Imbeah says.

Does the company have rules for its staff? He says yes. The programs manager is responsible for monitoring the behavior of its on-air staff. In this case, the Programs manager apologised for Blakk Rasta’s comments on Adomonline.com

George Imbeah says he cannot be specific on which station, the embattled presenter made his comments. He has not head the apology on radio.

George says there are two recordings, one from Hitz FM another recording on Joy FM. He doesn’t know on which station Blakk Rasta spoke.

In response to another question, George Imbeah says he is not aware that the publication of Blakk Rasta’s comments were taken off Adomonline.com on the authorization of the COO, Ekyi Quarm

Programs Manager for Hitz FM, Mark Okraku Mante swears his oath.

The chairman is questioning him.

Okraku Mante says none of the comments made by Blakk Rasta happened on the mid-morning program, Taxi Driver program. But he is aware of the comments on Entertainment News. He says he has not read the publication in the Searchlight.

He is given an exhibit and reads the publication. The Programs Coordinator confirms that Blakk Rasta was interviewed on Entertainment News where he made the alleged comments.

He explains that the Entertainment News is a 15-minute program.

An MP wants clarification whether Mark agrees with the publication which the presenter made on Entertainment News. He says no and that is why he apologised for the comment and instructed Adomonline to take the story down.

Mark again explains that he did not have time to read the whole publication on Searchlight but clarifies that the comments were made on Entertainment News.

Does he scrutinse the kind of questions asked during interviews on the said program? An MP asked.

Yes he does and did on this occasion but the questions to the presenter had nothing to do with Parliament. He cannot determine the answers Blakk Rasta gives during an interview.

The Chairman expresses surprise that witnesses and staff concerned in the case did not take time to read publications or listen to the audio recording in question. Mark says he did not believe the issue could travel this far.

Nonetheless, he says he has gone ahead to apologize. He says the article was taken off the website because it was distasteful.

An MP claims there is some collusion to decieve the House by taking the article off the website and refusing to fully endorse the publication in the Searchlight.

The Chairman requests that the tape be played after counsel for Blakk Rasta declines questioning the witness.

After a long pause, Parliament plays the tape.

 

Moment of Truth

In summary, Blakk Rasta says about 80% of MPs smoke wee and that a doctor can tests all the MPs to confirm his claim. He adds that MPs who smoke wee do not want to go public because as lawmakers they know the substance is banned. In effect, Blakk Rasta is advocating for the legalisation of 'wee' because it can help reduce Ghana's budget deficit.

Lawyer for Blakk Rasta says not all the comments reported in the publication was found on the tape. In defence of his client, he says he has advised his client to appreciate that his comments were contemptuous.

The Chairman asks him to state his defence.

Barton Oduro

“We apologise…on behalf of my client we unreservedly apologise…we actually came in here to apologise”, he says. Parliament is an august institution, he praises. He explains that from the first minute of sitting the attitude of his client was to apologise.

Blakk Rasta also apologises. He says the comments came in "on the spur of the moment". He was "on heat". He says he respects the House.

An MP says Blakk Rasta is reported on other sites to have also said he is not afraid of parliament and also that we is waiting for parliament to grow “wiser”. He also said he had 57 lawyers who will storm parliament to apologise.

Blakk Rasta says none of these is true. The media just want to sell papers and their websites, he insists.

Another MP reports Blakk Rasta as saying he is bigger than an MP and he can do more than MPs as a radio personality.

Deputy Speaker intervenes and says the MPs must spare him from this ordeal. He wants MP to just end it while parliament prepares its report on the matter.

Vice-Chairman of a committee on Gender wants to know if women are included in the wee-smoking claim by Blakk Rasta.

The question is ruled out and laughed off.

Yes, he is going to pursue the legalization of marijuana, Blakk Rasta says he response to a question. Legalising it will help “balance the economy”.

An MP says he loves Rastafarians. Many are his friends, he says and so he wants Blakk Rasta to show remorse and serve the nation in ‘Jah Love’.

Another MP wants to know if Blakk Rasta would advocate the publication of the constitution in twi, a local language.

Blakk Rasta says he.

The Chairman and Deputy Speaker of parliament says he has had “enough”. He ends the sitting.

The Chairman acknowledges that Blakk Rasta has brought CDs of his songs to the MPs.

Parliament rises at 2;55pm.