National MP Juol Nhomngek. (Courtesy).

The suspended member of the national parliament Juol Nhomngek said he has been targeted after advocating for accountability in the legislature.

On Wednesday, the Speaker of the national assembly suspended lawmaker Nhomngek from the August House for allegedly refusing to cooperate with the Committee investigating defamation allegations.

The suspended lawmaker accused Speaker Nunu of having a private company offering cleaning services at the parliament, which is interfering with the management of public finance in the August House.

He also claims that the Speaker has taken the work of nominating members for foreign trips without the Chief Whips – a situation that he says deprives many legislators of privileges.

As a result, Speaker Nunu formed a committee to investigate the allegations.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Friday, Nhomngek believes he was wrongfully suspended for being vocal.

“I am being suspended not because I have done anything wrong but because I said we need accountability in the parliament,” he said.

“Without that accountability, the parliament will not work to serve the public as expected because the parliament has been reduced to a building where people look for money, steal money, and build houses while the public is suffering.”

Ngomngek said the committee did not present its findings before the parliament after the investigation.

“The committee was supposed to carry out an investigation, after which the finding is supposed to be presented in the House. That did not happen and the committee did not disclose the findings to me and the whole thing appeared to have died somewhere.”

He alleged that the findings are being “kept somewhere just as a tool to be used as a threat against me.”

However, the Committee report indicates that Nhomngek refused to cooperate with the investigation and objected to giving a statement after he was summoned three times.

He was then suspended for the remaining sessions without pay.