The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is explaining to Parliament's Privileges Commitee, the process for granting permission for any clinical trial after an Ebola vaccine trial generated national controversy leading to a directive to halt it.

CEO of FDA Hudu Mogtari is having a hard time explaining the role of the FDA in the Ebola vaccine trial. Did it do sensitization?, some MPs want to know. But he has been evasive until finally suggesting that the MOH had directed that sensitization be done and his Authority participated in the exercise.

Prof. Mogtari

The FDA is explaining the process for granting permission for any clinical trial.

A Technical Committee of Experts who are non-FDA employees advice the Authority on clinical trials.

“Their advice is very key to the final decision taken by the FDA” he explained. Any concern raised by the experts are forwarded to the person or group applying for clinical approval. It can take a long time until the Committee is satisfied and recommend to the FDA to grant permission for clinical trial, he says.

The Chairman of the Privileges Committee gives the FDA boss some concerns raised by a member of the Technical Committee of Experts which suggested that the clinical trial was not safe.

TV3 witness Mr. Bosompim takes the witness stand. It was at the station that Professor Alex Dodoo made some of the remarks considered to be an affront to Parliament.

Mr. Bosompim

A TV3 clip has been played to the Privileges Commitee in which Prof. Dodoo said "I believe that people should rather ask or shut up... this country should rely on our technocrats. Yes the scientist may have alway erred in not sensitizing"

An MP accuses the TV presenter for “enjoying” the interview and wants to know if the station is remorseful about its attitude following what he calls public “bashing”.

Did the station get the side of the MPs, the Chairman wants to know? But the representative says a TV3 reporter inside Parliament had reported their position before the discussion.

Mr. Bosompim says it was not the interest of the station to undermine Parliament if it feels slighted or insulted by the discussion with Prof. Alex Dodoo.

An MP wants to know why the TV3 presenter referred to Prof. Dodoo as a pharmacology vigilante. He answers that the scientist has been a reference point for the station on controversial issues. He also says the scientist is often at the forefront of safety issues within the medical industry.

An MP is worried that a 10am bulletin where a live reaction of parliament was taken may not have enjoyed the same attention as the first broadcast of an interview with Prof. Alex Dodoo.

Counsel for Alex Dodoo reiterates Tuesday’s apology in another long plea. He crossed the line…there is no way we can justify ‘shut up’ we cannot apologise enough”.

Yonny Kulendi moves on to ask Mr. Bosompim some questions. He gets the TV3 presenter to acknowledge that interview with Prof. Alex Dodoo was pre-recorded and played at the 7:00am news.

It did not reflect new information that come up after the pre-recorded interview, the two sides agree. Yonny Kulendi goes ahead to apologise on behalf of Mr. Bosompim.and on behalf of TV3.