CHRAJ BOSS HOT

Lauretta Vivian Lamptey

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, December 5, 2014

After months of agitation for the removal of the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Chief Justice Georgina Wood, has finally indicted Ms. Lauretta Vivian Lamptey

A committee set up by the Chief Justice, acting in her administrative capacity as she is constitutionally mandated, to investigate allegations of abuse of office against the beleaguered CHRAJ boss has established a preliminary prima facie case against her.

Removal from office

As a result, Ms. Lamptey is expected to be subjected to full-blown investigation, a move that could lead to her eventual removal from office if adverse findings are made against her.

Petitioner Richard Nyamah, a leading member of Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF), a civil society group who broke the news about the Chief Justice’s action in a news release said “I am delighted in a measure, I suppose the entire nation would, to learn that Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood, has made a prima facie case on my petition for the removal of the Commissioner of the CHRAJ from office.”

He said his counsel, Samson Lardy Ayenini’s chambers received the official communication from the office of the Chief Justice signed by Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong about the decision to further investigate Ms. Lamptey for allegedly abusing her office as CHRAJ Boss.

He said the 24-page report noted the petition was grounded on “… acts of serious misconduct, inappropriate exercise of office, serious misjudgement, breaches of laws and public trust.”

Mr. Nyamah said the preliminary investigation took into consideration the accompanying exhibits as well as a response provided by Ms. Lamptey before concluding that “while duly recognizing that this finding is not conclusive of guilt, it is gratifying to cross this critical hurdle in the impeachment process.”

According to Mr. Nyamah, the report said “(t)he Hon. Lady Chief Justice in compliance with Article 146(4) of the 1992 Constitution is therefore in the process of setting up a committee to investigate the compliant.”

Suspension

The petitioner made a passionate appeal to President John Mahama not to miss the opportunity to suspend the CHRAJ Boss once the Chief Justice had established there Ms Lamptey has a questions to answer.

“President John Mahama is humbly reminded the coast is now clear and urged to act on the earlier appeal to him to consider exercising his Article 146 (10) (b) constitutional powers to suspend Ms. Lamptey pending investigations.”

“This has become even more important over news that she has not only lost the requisite moral standing to preside over matters of human rights abuse and administrative injustices but has also brought CHRAJ’s reputation into serious question internationally,” he said.

Ms. Lamptey’s Reaction

The CHRAJ Boss in a reaction, expressed her disappointment in the Chief Justice for the prima facie findings.

She said in a statement that “I very disappointed by the fact that the Chief Justice has determined that a prima facie case has been established against me, which therefore needs further investigation.”

"I have every respect for our constitutional processes and full confidence in both this process and the recently completed Special Purpose Audit into my accommodation arrangements,” and expressed optimism that she will be cleared of any wrongdoing when she finally submits her evidence to the yet-to-be-constituted investigative committee.

“I, therefore, welcome the opportunity which such an investigation offers, to present my side of the story in an open and transparent manner, and to clear my name of the accusations which have been leveled at me over the past several weeks in the media and by the petitioners," she added.

Allegations

The CHRAJ Commissioner was accused of reckless dissipation of state funds in taking accommodation at a hotel for several months.

She reportedly spent $148,000 on her 33-month rent and an additional $180,000 on renovating her official residence.

CHRAJ was said have paid close to $5,000 monthly rent on her plush AU Village apartment for 33 months, an expenditure that caused public outrage.

Apart from the issue of accommodation, the CHRAJ Boss has been accused of absenting herslf from work.

The source that broke the initial story claimed she hardly stepped into the office and most of the works were done by her deputies, adding that the lack of leadership at CHRAJ had accounted for the dwindling role of the commission in the administration of justice.

“She only goes to the office for reimbursement of expenses made and has not visited majority of the commission’s regional and district offices ever since she assumed office,” the source said.

“She hardly attends the commission’s internal meetings and is more interested in international human rights invitation where allowances and remunerations are far better,” the source added.

$105,000 On Trips

 Ms Lamptey is also accused of  spending an amount of $105,000 on her official foreign trips within two years.

According to media reports, a significant part of the expenses is in relation to ticket upgrades to business class, because organisers of the international conferences she attended made provision for economy class tickets.

The Commissioner makes an average of three trips in a month since her appointment in 2011, reports said.

Official Residence

A couple of months after the story broke she continued to lodge at the hotel and only moved to her official residence at the Airport Residential Area in Accra recently to the chagrin of the public.

She indicated on November 26 that she had just checked out of the hotel saying “I wanted to let you know that I moved out of the hotel and into the official residence on Wednesday. This move was scheduled a week ago; before the Daily Graphic wrote about it,” she said in response to a newspaper report that she was still lodging at the hotel.

“I don’t appreciate the impression created by the paper that I was deliberately flouting request from the Chief Justice or ignoring a deadline. That is not true.” she complained.