MAHAMA MEN CORRUPT SAYS EX-MINISTER

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday December 21, 2017

Immediate-past Central Regional Minister Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has asserted that some of former President John Dramani Mahama’s appointees enriched themselves at the expense of the public.

Mr. Ricketts-Hagan, who is also a former deputy minister of trade and industry and Member of Parliament (MP) for Cape Coast South, said some ‘selfish’ and ‘greedy’ people hijacked the NDC to perpetrate corruption when they were in government, adding that the party should be able to wean itself from such people so as to save the opposition party in future elections.

“A lot of these have gone on in our party where there are people who joined the NDC purely for their own gains and some of the corruption issues and allegations going on are as a result of a few people making things bad for us in the party. We must root these people out of party,” he said on Accra FM 100.5 yesterday.

Presidential Bid

Mr. Ricketts-Hagan said he had decided to contest to become the NDC flag bearer for the 2020 elections.

If he concretizes his ambition, he will be expected to challenge stalwarts like former President Mahama - who is staging a comeback - Joshua Alabi, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Sylvester Mensah and Alban Bagbin.

The former regional minister averred, “We are the politicians and we must clean our houses, whether it is corruption or whatever; corruption is something that we must be seen to be fighting. As I always say, corruption is like a ghost, you know it is there but sometimes you can’t point to it, so, we must look at the root cause of corruption because we are to serve our people, not to serve ourselves.”

He said if he gets the chance to lead the NDC for the 2020 elections, he would ensure that those with corrupt minds are kept out.

“That will be one of the core things I will do in our party to make sure that those who are in the party just for the money or positions to enrich themselves at the expense of others, are stopped. This attitude has no room for social democratic parties like ours. Ours is to seek the welfare of our people, bring our people out of poverty and improve their economic lifestyle and not to improve the lifestyle of ourselves and our families.

“I have made my intentions known to the leadership of the minority in parliament and other members, and some of them have given me the go-ahead. God willing, if the NDC opens nominations, I will contest in the primaries to become the flag bearer. As a regional minister, I practised the presidency in the region, and so, I have enough experience in governing people. I am an investment banker, and so you can trust me when it comes to investment.”

Mahama’s Time Over

“I believe that Mr Mahama has done his part; he has played his role and the time has come for new leaders, fresh legs and fresh styles. I have a lot of respect for him but I think we need new ideas,” the former regional minister challenged.

Mr. Ricketts-Hagan noted, “As we are presented with a new opportunity to look into strengthening and reinvigorating the future of our party, anchored on our principles and values of accountability, probity, social justice and transparency, we should all appeal to our conscience and not our sentiments to do the right thing that will invariably give us a realistic chance of wrestling back power from the NPP.”

“Indeed, it is for this reason that many of us have silently and thoughtfully come to the realization that the time has come for the baton of leadership to change hands so that as a party we can continue our relay race into the future with fresh legs.

“We need to have a new vision, new start and a change in direction, in a way that is reflective of the modern aspirations of our people. These we must do dispassionately and not nostalgically, and no one with good intentions for our NDC party should be afraid of positive change as long as they are in the party to do good by serving the people and not themselves.”

Botchwey Report

Commenting on the Prof Kwesi Botcwey-led committee report, Mr Ricketts-Hagan said it was wrong for the party not to make the content public.

 “I thought the report was done for us as a party and therefore, all of us in the 275 constituencies of the NDC party must have the report so that we will know what is actually contained in the report to enable us deal with the issues that led to our defeat.

“We cannot sweep the things that happened to us under the carpet and think that we can sit on top of the carpet and preside over a party that is cured of its ailments,” he observed.

CJ BREAKS SILENCE ON EC BOSSES’ PROBE

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday December 20, 2017

Chief Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo has officially confirmed that she has set up a committee to investigate allegations brought against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei and her two deputies - Amadu Sulley, in-charge of Operations and Mrs. Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, in-charge of Corporate Service.

A statement issued in Accra yesterday and signed by Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong, Judicial Secretary, indicated that the proceedings of the five-member committee, to be chaired by a Supreme Court judge, would be in camera.

“The public is hereby informed that Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo, in accordance with Article 46 of the 1992 Constitution, has set up a five-member committee to investigate allegations brought against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei and her two deputies, Mr. Amadu Sulley and Mrs. Georgina Opoku-Amankwa,” the statement pointed out.

“The committee, which will sit in camera in line with normal practice, consists of three justices of the Superior Court appointed by the Judicial Council and two other persons appointed by the Chief Justice, on the advice of the Council of State. The committee is chaired by a justice of the Supreme Court.”

According to the statement, “The committee was established after the Chief Justice had determined that there was a prima facie case against the three officials of the Electoral Commission.”

The statement cautioned, “It is the expectation of the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council that the public will treat the committee with respect and dignity it deserves as it carries out its constitutional duty and refrain from making any comments that will undermine the work of the committee, since infractions may amount to contempt.”

DAILY GUIDE  has learnt that the probe committee is chaired by Justice Alfred Anthony Benin of the Supreme Court, with Justices SK Marfo-Sau and Agnes Dodzie - both of the Court of Appeal - Abrah Appiah and Rose Karikari-Annan, Executive Secretary, Ghana Employers’ Association, being members.

On Monday, October 11, the committee had its maiden meeting where both the petitioners and the respondents had a face-to-face encounter.

The embattled EC boss, Charlotte Osei, had asked for the names of the committee members, but was not given.

The EC workers, who petitioned President Akufo-Addo were represented by two of them and led by their lawyer, Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, with the rest waiting in the wings for the showdown.

The allegations leveled against the EC bosses have been consolidated into six, particularly on issues relating to procurement.

Charlotte was accompanied by Thaddeus Sory, who is the commission’s solicitor and also acting for the EC boss.

Sources claimed all along, the EC boss thought that her accusers were some faceless people, but appeared to have been taken aback a bit when she finally met the faces behind the first petition, who are all said to be staff of the commission.

Counter Petitioner

Emmanuel Senyo, a non-EC staff who had filed a counter petition to the president against the two deputy commissioners, also met both Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa at the committee meeting.

He is said to have requested for two weeks to tidy up on his petition.

The committee, DAILY GUIDE gathered, had given all the parties three weeks to file their respective witness statements.

The paper understands that Mr Senyo relates James Kofi Afedo, the communication consultant working with the EC.

Mr Kofi Afedo, a known member of Movement for Mahama, a partisan group aligned to the NDC, was hired by Charlotte Osei and purportedly paid thousands of dollars.

Committee’s Mandate

The committee reportedly used the maiden meeting to explain the procedures, as well as the terms of reference to the petitioners and the respondents, with their lawyers participating actively.

A source said that the committee is most likely to commence its work in January next year; and all members serving on it were present.

DAILY GUIDE has learnt that since the problems at the EC escalated, the commission had not been able to meet, with decisions that need attention being singlehandedly addressed by Mrs Charlotte Osei.

Article 146

The probe is being undertaken pursuant to Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, after petitions and counter petitions had been sent to the president against the three top officials of the electoral body.

The committee was set up because there are sufficient grounds (prima facie) for impeachment of the officers who have been at loggerheads, jeopardizing the operations at the commission.

Prima Facie Case 

The impeachment committee was established because the Chief Justice, in a preliminary investigation, reportedly established a prima facie case against the three EC bosses following separate petitions filed against them.

According to a source, several alleged infractions in the award of contracts at the EC would feature prominently in the committee’s investigations.

The preliminary investigations into the alleged scandal commenced last August when the Chief Justice wrote officially to the commissioners to file their responses to the allegation leveled against them in the respective petitions.

With the committee now in place, the respondents, who have not been working together, may now be asked to proceed on leave, pending the outcome of the probe.

NDC DARES GOV’T TO ARREST AMALIBA

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday December 18 , 2017

National Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Kofi Adams, has said that those calling for the arrest of a member of the party - Abraham Amaliba - are joking.

Mr. Amaliba, a private legal practitioner, recently threatened mayhem if the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei, is removed from office by President Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

Three top officials of the EC, including Mrs. Charlotte Osei, are facing a probe committee set up by the Chief Justice following petitions of wrongdoing filed against them.

However, the NDC jumped to the defence of the EC boss, leaving out her two deputies - Amadu Sulley and Mrs. Georgina Opoku-Amankwah - who were roped into the EC alleged scandal by the chairperson herself.  The three top EC officers were all appointed by the NDC administration, but has rather decided to stand behind Mrs Charlotte Osei.

The petition against her was initiated by some workers of the commission and she is leading the charge of wrongdoing against Mr Amadu Sulley and Ms Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, in-charge of Operations and Corporate Services respectively.

In what looks like the opposition party has more to lose, should Mrs Charlotte Osei be impeached, some of its (party’s) key elements are even putting their lives on the line to fight for her, saying the whole action is being pushed by the NPP government.

Mr. Amaliba queried on Accra FM on Tuesday “…What has the woman done? She has declared election results in your favour and so what again do they want from her that they are using the process to harass her?” adding, “Where are the CDDs? Where are the OccupyGhanas? If it were to be the NDC government all these people would be speaking by now. Where is Emile Short? Where is Professor Martey? This country will burn and we will see where all of us will be and so they should continue doing it.”

In the ensuing debate, some people have also raised concern about Mr. Amaliba’s comment, insisting that the utterances of the NDC member have the potential to spark war, if he is not arrested.

Bernard Antwi-Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman who is one of those pushing for the arrest of the NDC member, said that that statement was reckless and must not be condoned.

“The IGP must not waste time in arresting Amaliba for him to explain himself. He’s a lawyer, he knows the law and should not be speaking foolishly. When Hon. Ken Agyapong made a statement that was considered problematic, he was arrested. I was also arrested for pronouncements I made, why can’t same be applied to Amaliba?” Wontumi wondered.

But Mr Kofi Adams said Mr. Amaliba could not be arrested because there was nothing wrong with what he (Amaliba) had said.

 “I don’t think that anybody is very serious with such an arrest of Lawyer Amaliba who indicated that flimsy issues are being used as basis to remove the Chairperson of the EC and that if this continue, it will not augur well for the country.”

“Can’t people express their thoughts anymore in Ghana? Or there is no more freedom of expression in Ghana after Akufo-Addo won the elections,” Kofi Adam said, adding "those persons calling for arrest of Amaliba are not serious, may be they are joking with their demands.”

PRESIDENTIAL STAFFER REJECTS EJECTION CLAIM

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday December 15, 2017

The lady at the centre of ejection allegation has said she was not involved in the operation by certain security personnel that threw out the belongings of some government workers staying in state bungalows in Accra.

Mrs.  Grace Acheampong, a Protocol Officer in charge of housing at the office of the Chief of Staff, said she is being accused wrongly by the affected worker Abdulai Amin, a staff of the Accountant-General's Department and added that officials at the Ministry of Works and Housing were not being fair to her in the matter.

Narrating what triggered the issue, she told DAILY GUIDE that the Chief of Staff Frema Osei Opare put her in charge of estates and was supposed to liaise with the sector ministry headed by Lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea to track all government bungalows and flats in the Greater Accra Region.

She said she was also tasked to find accommodation for staff working at the presidency and as a result her team has been working since January to make sure all government bungalows in the region are intact.

According to Mrs Acheampong popularly calle O’gre, the process they adopted was that “a tenant-update form was designed and was signed by the Hon. Minister Atta Akyea and subsequently distributed to tenants in all the bungalows and flats visited, to be filled,” adding “the audit team went to all the areas in the region captured to administer the forms and then went back two weeks after administering them to collect the completed forms.”

“Tenants who could not submit their completed form to the team on the third and fourth visits were asked to submit them at room 56’ of the Ministry of Works and Housing,” she said.

According to the staffer, the tenants were requested to attach photocopies of their allocation letter, pay slip/rent payment receipts and appointment letter and based on the information provided “the team sorted and classified them into Defaulters, Non-Defaulters and Retired Tenants.”

She said that defaulting tenants were those who were not paying rent, or not being deducted rent at source according to their pay slips, or could not attach rent payment receipt from the Bank of Ghana and could not also prove an exemption of rent payments in their conditions of service.

“There are tenants who have attained the age of statutory retirement (sixty (60) years) but are still occupying the bungalows whilst some have even passed them onto their children,” she noted.

Mrs. Acheampong said the payment process was that the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) was supposed to do the rent deductions while in some category of government workers, they were supposed to go to the Bank of Ghana to make the monthly payments since they were not receiving their salaries through the Controller.

According to her, the data they collated showed that 65% of government workers were living in the various government bungalows and flats free of charge because they do not pay rent.

She said in the case of Amin, the records showed that he was employed at Controller and Accountant General's Dept in 2013 and he moved into the property the same year, adding that he had not paid rent since 2013.

“He rushed to pay an amount of GH¢625 at the BoG in August this year when he realized he was being found out. My team gave all these information to the ministry,” adding “he came to me begging me for time and turned around to accuse me of ordering the security agents to eject him.”

“I did not ask the security personnel to go and eject him. I only passed the information I gathered on him and others to the ministry for action. I don’t have that power to order security personnel about.”

NDC REGISTRATION IS SCAM – EX-ENVOY

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday December 15, 2017

The former Consul to Dubai, Daniel Osei, says the approach adopted by the leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to re-register its members is a scam.

“It is being done to give former President John Mahama and his camp total control of the party so that he will have an undue advantage over the other contestants who are preparing to become the NDC’s flagbearer for the 2020, he said.

“We are sleeping folks, and the NPP is cruising to victory in 2020. I am vexed. It's shameful what these enemies of progress are willing to do without regard to our party,” he said on one of the NDC social media platforms.

According to him, “The scattered and expensive process leading to the next primaries of the party, including ‘fake’ and ‘useless’ registration booklets is ‘unsustainable.”

“For those who have participated in branch elections in the past, when did national ever print booklets for branch exercises?”

“So this gargantuan mess will continue to thrive until we get to their ace card where it becomes so expensive for other candidates to compete, they'll have their guys in place to control events and their candidate who will fund the entire exercise -including the ‘Nokofioo’ for the delegates and their transportation etc - will become the obvious choice!” he fired.

“It's all a big scam and must be rejected with the urgency it deserves.

“What the leadership of the party is seeking to implement has the ‘sole purpose’ of helping the greedy ‘bastards’ impose their chosen one as flag bearer.”

“To allow these crooks to use the same repressive tactics to continue to steer the affairs of the party can only yield one result; defeat in 2020, and it will be more disastrous than 2016.”

He said “the Mahama camp is going to overwhelm the process with money and become the obvious choice and you and I know their chosen one can't win a national election in Ghana,” adding “don't be fooled by the silly busing of a handful of people to make noise, as indicative of broad support.

“Talk to your friends and neighbours and you will see person after person, who supported Mills in 2008, supported NDC in 2012, same people rejected Mahama in 2016!

Mr Osei charged the rank and file of the NDC who he called comrades to “use information wisely.”

He said that if the NDC wants to elicit the support of the electorate for 2020, the party must listen carefully and partner them intelligently and proactively.”

“Talk to the business community and you will see they rejected Mahama and don't want him back! Talk to the leadership and members of AGI, talk to the bankers, engage the entrepreneurs and businessmen and have a candid conversation. Talk to members and leadership of GREDA and they will tell you they can't support him. Traders, farmers, nurses, teachers all rejected the former president.”

He added “the international community did not hide their disdain for his governance and style, so much that foreign diplomats in the country went rogue, voiced their opinions and openly demanded change.”

The former consul said “in the opinion of workers and the labour front, Mahama was a disaster.

“We are the party of workers and he systematically destroyed our working relations with labour unions, all in a quest to score silly political points instead of paying attention to the needs of workers and empowering labour as our social democratic ideology instructs.”

“We leaked information to make doctors look bad for no other reason than to pat ourselves on the back and claim ‘we've out smarted them - and to what end?”

“Enough is enough. Forget about them and their evil plots. Reject their low-level thinking and bankrupt ideology of sycophancy,” he fired, adding “speak truth to power. Rise up and take back your party.”

NDC FIGHTS FOR EC BOSS…DUMPS SULLEY, GEORGINA

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday December 14, 2017

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has gone haywire following the activation of the processes that could lead to the impeachment of Charlotte Osei, chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) and her two deputies.

The NDC has suddenly risen to the defence of the EC boss, at the expense of her two deputies, who were roped into the EC’s alleged scandal by Mrs Charlotte Osei. 

The three top officials of the EC are facing a probe committee set up by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, following petitions of wrongdoing filed against them.

While Charlotte Osei’s petition was initiated by some workers of the commission, the embattled EC chairperson is leading the charge of wrongdoing against her two deputies - Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa – in-charge of Operation and Corporate Service respectively.

Interestingly, the NDC has pitched camp with Charlotte against the two other deputies who were all appointed by John Mahama’s administration.

Mrs Charlotte Osei, according to DAILY GUIDE sources, had never had good working relations with the two deputies since she took office in 2015.

Mr Amadu Sulley, according to sources, was even placed on national security radar because the Mahama administration was informed that he was dealing with the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) particularly, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

In what looks like the NDC has more to lose should the EC chairperson be impeached, some of its key elements are even putting their lives on the line to fight for her, saying the whole action is being pushed by the New Patriotic Party government.

There is currently a massive campaign in the media, particularly on social media, by NDC activists in support of the EC chairperson.

Some critics of the opposition party have said the NDC’s posture is threatening the work of the committee investigating Charlotte Osei, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa.

Members of the minority NDC in parliament, led by Haruna Iddrisu, are falling over each other in their rabid defence of Charlotte Osei.

An NDC lawyer, Abraham Amaliba, has even gone to the absurd level, threatening war if Mrs. Osei is removed from office.

He said on Accra FM on Tuesday “…What has the woman done? She has declared election results in your favour and so what again do they want from her that they are using the process to harass her?” he quizzed, adding, “Where are the CDDs? Where are the OccupyGhanas? If it were to be the NDC government all these people would be speaking by now. Where is Emile Short? Where is Professor Martey? This country will burn and we will see where all of us will be and so they should continue doing it.”

On the same Tuesday on Peace FM, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, a vice chairperson of the opposition party and head of NDC election committee, sent a strong warning to President Akufo-Addo not to ‘orchestrate’ a plot to remove the EC boss.

“For the first time, people wanted to throw the supreme law of the land – the constitution - aside because of some parochial interest . . . She’s one of the most vilified public officers ever seen in this country in recent times, but I doff my hat for her that she stood very tall in all this and did her work effectively. 

As we say, the end justifies the means; she’s been able to work for a successful election,” Mr. Ofosu Ampofo said.

 “There’s no doubt in my mind that what is happening now is more political than anything. And I want to caution President Nana Akufo-Addo to be very, very careful because running a nation is not like leading NPP...My caution is that the Chief Justice, the Presidency, must be careful the way they handle this matter.

".. . I am cautioning the President because this matter is political and I want to say it’s political. And there is lack of transparency in the way this is being handled and it is being handled to achieve a certain end. We’re also in politics. We know the sort of conspiracies that are going round. And I’m cautioning that they must be very, very careful because some people are alleged to have even met and decided the outcome of this matter before the matter even goes there . . . Let us be careful that we do not politically manipulate this to achieve some certain ends...,” he added.

In the ensuing heat, Martin Agyei-Mensah Korsah, a deputy minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development, who was the NPP’s Director of Election during the 2016 general elections, said the outcome of the impeachment process should bring positive reforms.

“Whether the three are impeached or they are cleared, this should lead to a better and reformed commission handling national tasks without fear or favour,” Mr Agyei-Mensah Korsah, who had a very long working relationship with the three commissioners, said on Oman FM in Accra yesterday.

The NDC’s critics have said that the opposition party should not overlook the scandalous press war that ensued between Ms. Osei on one hand and her deputies on the other, when each directly accused the other of being corrupt or said to have abused their respective offices.

GO TO COURT – NANA TELLS EC BOSS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday December 13, 2017

The attempt by the beleaguered Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, to throw in a last punch by requesting for copies of the petitions sent to the Office of the President seeking her impeachment from office, has hit a snag.

This is because the presidency has directed her to channel her request to the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court premises for the documents.

Communications Director at the presidency, Eugene Arhin, told the media yesterday, “President Akufo-Addo sent everything to the Chief Justice in pursuant to Article 146(3) of the 1992 Constitution. If she is looking for a copy....I think the best place is the CJ’s office.

“It is a straightforward issue...If she wants a copy she should get it from the Chief Justice (because) all the documents we have, we forwarded them.”

Upon an invitation by the Chief Justice to meet the five-member committee investigating the allegation of corruption and abuse of power against the EC boss and her two deputies, Mrs. Osei wrote formally to President Akufo-Addo, requesting for an official copy of the petitions that are seeking her removal from office.

She also wrote to the Judicial Council acknowledging the invitation to appear before the committee over her possible impeachment proceedings and additionally requested for copies of the petitions, as well as the composition of the committee as constituted by the Chief Justice.

In both letters, Charlotte Osei said she needed the document in order to seek the requisite legal advice on the matter.

“I would respectfully like to make you aware of the following:

(a) I have to this day, not been furnished with a copy of the alleged petition.

(b) I was provided with a statement of the allegations made against me in a letter from Her Ladyship, the Chief Justice in which she also asked me to respond to the allegations,” she had stated.

On Monday, the committee probing the alleged misconduct, being chaired by a Supreme Court judge, had its maiden meeting where both the petitioners and the respondents had a face-to-face encounter for the first time.

The EC workers, who petitioned the president, were represented by two of them and led by their lawyer, Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, with the rest waiting in the wings for the showdown.

Charlotte was also accompanied by Thaddeus Sory, who is the EC’s solicitor and also acting for the commission’s boss.

Sources said that all along, the EC boss thought that her accusers were some faceless people, but appeared to have been taken aback a bit when she finally met the faces behind the first petition - who are all said to be staff of the commission.

Counter Petitioner

Emmanuel Senyo, a non-EC staff who had filed a counter petition to the president against the two deputy commissioners, also met both Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa at the committee.

DAILY GUIDE understands that Mr. Senyo relates James Kofi Afedo, the communication consultant working with the EC.

Mr Kofi Afedo, a known member of ‘Movement for Mahama,’ partisan group aligned to the NDC, was hired by Charlotte Osei, paying him thousands of dollars.

The second petitioner, Douglas Seidu, was also present.

Committee’s Procedures

The committee reportedly used the maiden meeting to explain the procedures as well as the terms of reference to the petitioners and the respondents, with their lawyers participating actively.

A source said that the committee is most likely to commence its work in January next year, and all members serving on the committee were present.

DAILY GUIDE has learnt that since the problems at the EC escalated, the commission had not been able to meet, with decisions that need attention being singlehandedly addressed by Charlotte Osei.

Article 146

The probe is being undertaken following the activation of Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution after petitions and counter petitions had been sent to the president against the three top officials of the electoral body.

The probe committee was set up because there are sufficient grounds (prima facie) for impeachment of the officers, whose attitudes are obviously jeopardizing the operations at the EC.

Apart from a Supreme Court judge chairing the committee, two other Court of Appeal judges as well as two other members nominated by the Council of State (female and male), are also members.

Prima Facie Case

The impeachment committee was established because the Chief Justice, in a preliminary investigation, reportedly established a prima facie case against the three EC bosses following separate petitions filed against them.

A source said several infractions in the award of contracts at the EC would feature prominently in the committee’s investigations.

The preliminary investigations into the scandal commenced last August when the Chief Justice wrote officially to the commissioners to file their official responses to the allegation leveled against them in the respective petitions.

EC BOSSES’ PROBE BEGIN…3 WEEKS TO FILE STATEMENTS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday December 12, 2017

The committee empanelled by Chief Justice Sophia Abena Boafoa Akuffo to probe the allegations of abuse of power and corruption at the Electoral Commission (EC), yesterday met both the petitioners and the respondents.

Both the petitioners and the respondents reported at the scheduled time of 1:00 pm; and each reportedly met the committee, to be chaired by a Supreme Court judge.

The EC workers, who petitioned the president, were represented by two of them, with the rest waiting in the wings for the real day for the showdown.

Witness Statement

DAILY GUIDE gathered that they have all been given three weeks to file their respective witness statements.

The two respective petitioners were the first to enter the court complex in Accra at about 12:45 pm and then came the first respondent, Charlotte Osei, EC chairperson, at about 12:50 pm.

Amadu Sulley, a deputy Chairpersons in-charge of Operations, who is another respondent, appeared to be in the company of the EC chairperson when they all entered the building with their lawyers.

Mrs. Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, a deputy commissioner  in-charge of Corporate Services (also a respondent), came in a few minutes after 1:00 pm.

Mrs Charlotte Osei was in the company of her lawyer, Thaddeus Sory, while Mr Amadu Sulley came with lawyer Farouk Seidu.

It was unclear who was representing Mrs. Opoku-Amankwa -  who is a lawyer herself - but the counsel was present.

Face-to—Face Meeting

DAILY GUIDE understands that the respondents and their accusers were first put in a room before the committee started calling them individually.

Sources said that all along, the EC boss thought that her accusers were some faceless people, but appeared to have been taken aback a bit when she finally met the faces behind the first petition against her - who are all said to be staff of the commission.

Counter Petitioner

Emmanuel Senyo, a non-EC staff who had filed a counter petition to President Akufo-Addo against the two deputy commissioners, also met both Mr Amadu Sulley and Mrs. Opoku-Amankwa at the committee.

DAILY GUIDE’s information is that Mr. Senyo relates James Kofi Afedo, the communication consultant working with the EC.

Kofi Afedo, a known member of Movement for Mahama’- a partisan group - was hired by Charlotte Osei and allegedly paid him thousands of dollars.

The second petitioner, Douglas Seidu, was also present.

The committee reportedly closed the maiden session at about 4:00 pm yesterday.

Committee’s Mandate

The committee reportedly used the maiden meeting to explain the procedures as well as the terms of reference to the petitioners and the respondents (with their lawyers participating actively).

A source said that the committee is most likely to commence its work in January next year; meanwhile, all members serving on the committee were present.

DAILY GUIDE has learnt that since the problems at the EC escalated, the commission had not been able to meet, and so decisions that need attention are singlehandedly addressed by Mrs Charlotte Osei.

Article 146

The probe is being undertaken following the activation of Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, after petitions and counter petitions had been sent to the president against the three top officials of the electoral body.

The committee was set up because there are sufficient grounds (prima facie) for impeachment of the officers whose attitudes have been jeopardizing the operations of the commission.

Apart from a Supreme Court judge chairing the committee, two other Court of Appeal judges (male and female) as well as two other members nominated by the Council of State (female and male) are also panel members.

Prima Facie Case

The impeachment committee was established because the Chief Justice, in a preliminary investigation, reportedly established a prima facie case against the three EC chiefs following separate petitions filed against them.

A source said several infractions in the award of contracts at the EC would feature prominently in the committee’s investigations.

The unnamed EC staff are being represented by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, against Mrs. Osei.

The petition against her alleged among other things, the spending a whopping GH¢3.9 million to partition an office, the receipt of a Toyota Land Cruiser from the Mahama government and the use of about $14 million to build district offices when the Public Procurement Authority had only authorized her (Osei) to use $7.5 million.

The preliminary investigations into the scandal commenced last August when the Chief Justice wrote officially to the commissioners to file their official responses to the allegations leveled against them in the respective petitions.

With the committee now in place, the respondents who have not been working together, may now be asked to proceed on leave, pending the outcome of the probe.