I never assaulted Sam George – Ayorkor Botchwey

Graphic Online Politics Dec - 17 - 2018 , 19:01 2 minutes read

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has said that she never assaulted or made an attempt to slap NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel George Nartey following a heated argument in Parliament House on Monday, December 17, 2018.

There was verbal exchanges between Ms Botchwey and North Tongu MP (NDC), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in the lobby of parliament as Mr Nartey pulled his phone to record the verbal exchanges.

This infuriated Ms Botchwey who surged forward towards Mr Nartey, who was apparently filming the whole heated conversation on his mobile phone.

Mr Nartey said he would report the incident to the Speaker of Parliament that he had been assaulted by Ms Botchwey.

Ms Botchwey explained: “As we were having that heated conversation, Sam George had his phone up and recording it, that is a violation of my privacy, that is not acceptable. Why is everybody talking about my stretching my hand? To do what? To hit him? To assault him? Why would I do that?”.

She said she was questioning why Mr Nartey was recording what ensued and added that she raised her arm as “a gesture but it definitely was not an attempt to assault him (Mr Nartey) or to slap him”.

The exchange between the two lawmakers from either side of the house, ensued after Mr Ablakwa accused the government of allegedly inflating the cost ($12 million) of a six-bedroom residence for Ghana’s new mission in Norway.

The encounter took place within the corridors of Parliament in the presence of the media after the Speaker had suspended sitting.

He reported that a document in possession of the Minority revealed that a previous buyer, Lillian Olsson, bought the property in 2014 for $2 million and sold it in 2017 to an unknown buyer for $3 million.

This accusation by the Minority forced the Speaker to suspend sitting for further deliberations.

Ms Botchwey and Mr Ablakwa continued the debate within parliament’s corridors.