The ruling was delivered during Parliament’s emergency sitting on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after First Deputy Minority Whip and Tolon MP, Habib Iddrisu, filed the motion seeking the establishment of an ad hoc committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the seizures.

The proposed inquiry was intended to examine how major narcotics consignments were processed, inspected, cleared and exported from Ghana, as well as the roles of state institutions and other actors involved.

Among the incidents cited was the seizure of about 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine by French Customs at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026. The motion also referenced the seizure of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine by Australian authorities and other narcotics interceptions linked to Ghana.

However, Speaker Bagbin ruled that the motion was inadmissible because its proposed terms of reference substantially overlapped with matters already under investigation and before the courts.

He said allowing Parliament to conduct the proposed inquiry could require the House to examine evidence, witnesses, conduct and responsibility in ways that overlap with issues being determined through the criminal justice process.

According to the Speaker, such an inquiry could ultimately lead Parliament to determine matters that properly fall within the jurisdiction of the courts.

He therefore ruled, pursuant to relevant provisions of Parliament’s Standing Orders, that the Private Member’s Motion could not proceed in its current form.

Mr Bagbin, however, stressed that his ruling did not prevent Parliament from exercising its constitutional oversight responsibilities over narcotics trafficking, border security, port controls or the performance of state institutions.

The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, subsequently rejected the ruling, arguing that Parliament’s oversight role should not be curtailed simply because related criminal cases were before the courts.

He maintained that the proposed inquiry was focused on institutional and systemic issues rather than determining the guilt or innocence of individuals facing prosecution.

The disagreement leaves the reported narcotics seizures subject to ongoing investigations and judicial processes, while the broader question of parliamentary scrutiny of Ghana’s anti-narcotics and port-security systems remains a matter of debate.