Wednesday, March 21, 2018

EC PROBE COMMITTEE INVITES PPA BOSS


By William Yaw Owusu
Wednesday March 21, 2018

The Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has reportedly been summoned to appear before the committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei, and her two deputies for abuse of office and conflict of interest.

Agyenim Boateng Agyei is being subpoenaed under High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004, (C.I. 47) Order 38 Rule 10, at the instance of the EC staff who are accusing the EC boss of abuse of office and other charges.

The subpoena, reportedly prepared on March 12, 2018, indicates that apart from his testimony likely to be heard today, the PPA boss is expected to present some documents to the committee, being chaired by Justice A.A. Benin of the Supreme Court.

Previous Subpoena
It is not the first time a subpoena is being issued in the course of the committee’s work.

Last month a non-EC staff, Emmanuel Senyo, who has filed a counter petition regarding the impeachment of Mrs. Charlotte Osei’s two deputies - Amadu Sulley, in-charge of Operations and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, for Corporate Services -  currently on interdiction - caused a subpoena to be issued against treasurers of political parties.

Sources claimed that Emmanuel Senyo’s subpoena was in connection with the case of Amadu Sulley, whom he is alleging pocketed money from the political parties to the detriment of the commission.

EC Finance Director
Apart from treasurers of the political parties, Dr. Joseph Kweku Asamoah, also reportedly subpoenaed, the EC Director of Finance, who is currently on interdiction on the orders of Ms Charlotte Osei in the matter of the EC Endowment Fund, for its staff being investigated by the EOCO.

Mrs. Charlotte Osei was also subpoenaed by the counter-petitioner.

According to sources NDC Director of Elections, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, was also subpoenaed but after a while the rest who were all treasurers from the various political parties claimed that they were not provided with any information as to what they were to testify about.

The committee notwithstanding, was of the view that the witnesses, being public officers, needed to assist the ongoing probe that could lead to the impeachment of the EC bosses and therefore, ordered the counter-petitioner’s lawyer to meet the witnesses and prepare a witness statement for each of them (witnesses), including Mrs. Charlotte Osei.

Original Petition
The whole action was triggered by a petition sent to the presidency by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, who was acting on behalf of some unnamed staff of the commission, who were seeking to trigger impeachment proceedings against Mrs. Charlotte Osei.


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