The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei is still yet to peruse the allegations against her in a petition presented to the Presidency, demanding her removal from office.
A document sighted by Citi News indicates that she has written to the President asking for a copy of the petition against her.
[contextly_sidebar id=”rcIsMjBnuW89TsXJ6nRev7C2Iy8s4fbf”]The petition Mrs.Osei refers to was presented by a lawyer, Mr. Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang on behalf of the petitioners, who made some 27 allegations against her.
The EC Chairperson also wrote to the Judicial Service on the same matter according to a different letter sighted by Citi News.
She noted that she has “to this day, not been furnished with a copy of the alleged petition.”
“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 explained.
Mrs. Osei added that the copy of the petition will enable her to seek the “requisite legal advice.”
Petition from angry staff
Some staff of the EC petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo in July 2017, to remove Mrs. Osei from office over allegations of fraud and financial malfeasance as well as abuse of office.
Some of the allegations involved the unilateral award of contracts by the EC boss in the run-up to the 2016 general election.
The petition from the aggrieved employees follows the loss of some GHc480, 000 from the EC’s Endowment Fund which prompted Mrs.Osei to ask the Commission’s Deputy Chairperson in-charge of Finance and Administration, Georgina Opoku Amankwah and the Finance Director, Dr. Joseph Kweku Asamoah to proceed on leave.
The petition against her, alleged among others the funnelling of 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 when the Public Procurement Authority had authorized her to use only $7.5 million.
Cause for probe
There has been some merit found in some of the corruption allegations against Mrs. Osei resulting in a prima facie case being established against her.
Her two deputies, Amadu Sulley (in charge of Operations), and Georgina Opoku Amankwa will also have to answer for their alleged roles in the disappearance of the GHc480,000 from the Endowment Fund, among other allegations.
The three EC officials appeared individually before the Chief Justice in the company of their lawyers, at the office of the Judicial Service located at the Supreme Court on Monday.
Indications are that Mrs. Osei will have to only answer to six of the 27 allegations made against her as the others were found to be unfounded.
–
By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana