The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has called on government the government to publish the full report by the Committee set up by the Chief Justice to look into the claims of misdemeanour by the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei and her two former deputies.
The Committee eventually recommended her removal from office, a decision that was upheld by President Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday with the three officials relieved of their positions.
Excerpts of the report which have been published in the media show that the committee investigated six separate allegations of various procurement breaches, for which a prima facie case was established against Madam Charlotte Osei.
“All the six allegations levelled against Madam Charlotte Osei for which a prima facie case was established by the Honourable Chief Justice, relates to breaches to the Public Procurement Act, Act 663, as amended by the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act, Act 914” the committee’s report stated.
According to the PPP, the full report must be made public, in accordance with the citizens right to information under Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution, so that the party can decide on its next course of action which it said would include ” reporting Mrs Charlotte Osei to the BNI for her immediate arrest also based on facts we have gathered in our dealings with the EC.”
The party in its statement, signed by National Chairman, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond, said that the decision to remove the three officials was not surprising.
The statement added that the dismissal of Charlotte Osei and her deputies had also given the “independence and autonomy of the EC a boost.”
“We are not surprised at all with the outcome of the investigation. The EC Commissioners themselves had prepared the nation for this end result because of their own public accusation of gross violations of our procurement laws and their articles of engagement. We believe that the independence and autonomy of the EC has been given a boost. This will engender a degree of public confidence and put to rest, the soiled image of the Commission, and the rot in which the EC Commissioners themselves told us they wallowed in.”
President Nana Akufo-Addo removedCharlotte and her deputies, Amadu Sulley and Geroge Opoku Amankwah from office for infractions such as procurement breaches.
In the case of her deputies, they were found guilty of wrongful payment of official funds into private bank accounts among other offenses.
Below is the full statement from the PPP
SACKING MRS. CHARLOTTE OSEI IS GOOD RIDDANCE – PPP
The Progressive People’s Party would like to acknowledge with gratitude the efforts put in by the five-member committee set up by the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Sophia Akuffo, to investigate and make recommendations to the President on the corruption allegations against the Electoral Commission Chairperson, and her two deputies, in accordance with article 146 (4)(5) of the 1992 Constitution.
We are not surprised at all with the outcome of the investigation. The EC Commissioners themselves had prepared the nation for this end result because of their own public accusation of gross violations of our procurement laws and their articles of engagement. We believe that the independence and autonomy of the EC has been given a boost. This will engender a degree of public confidence and put to rest, the soiled image of the Commission, and the rot in which the EC Commissioners themselves told us they wallowed in.
We are satisfied that Chief Justice’s Committee has followed due process to sponge down the Electoral Commission of abuse of power, arrogance and complete disregard for public law and order. We thank the President for acting with urgency on the recommendations and applying the law without fear or favour. We call on the President to make the committee’s report public in accordance with the citizens right to information under Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution.
It is our considered opinion that if this report is made available to the PPP, it will inform our next line of action; which will include, reporting Mrs Charlotte Osei to the BNI for her immediate arrest also based on facts we have gathered in our dealings with the EC.
We call on President Akufo Addo to appoint Ghanaians of high integrity to the Commission who will put the National interest first, and conduct their affairs in accordance with stated public policy and live above partisanship so that our Electoral Commission will symbolize fair play, justice, selflessness, objectivity, transparency, accountability, honesty, independence, integrity and strong leadership.
It is our expectation that public officers will remain committed, diligent, patriotic and revere the rule of law so that, citizens do not gladly exercise their powers under the constitution to remove them from office. Our prayer is that this unfortunate and disgraceful spectacle should not befall anyone.
As a law-abiding party, our shared responsibility is to educate Ghanaians on why our democracy takes place in a framework of a Presidential representative democratic republic, with the President as both head of state and head of government, and with multi-party democracy as our accepted form of democracy.
We shall continue to contribute constructively to the development and improvement of Ghana by defending the existence of legally approved political parties as the most effective way towards progress in our nation.
#Awake Ghana
Signed,
Nii Allotey Brew Hammond
National Chairman
