A bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of the Madina MP, Francis-Xavier Sosu.
The warrant followed his absence from the hearing at the Kaneshie District Court on Monday morning.
Mr. Sosu has been absent from the two previous court hearings citing parliamentary work.
But according to correspondence from the court outlining the exchanges between the Madina MP’s lawyer and the prosecution in the case, the prosecution feels the warrant is necessary because the MP is showing disrespect to the court by being absent.
Mr. Sosu’s lawyer, however, said the MP was involved in work for the Constitutional and Legal Committee of Parliament, which has resumed public sittings on the anti-LGBTQ bill.
Mr. Sosu is facing these legal challenges after he led a demonstration in his constituency to protest bad roads on October 25.
The police contended that the protest included some unlawful acts, hence an attempt to arrest the MP.
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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.
In response to his legal travails, 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.
