Lawyers for the embattled former head of Management Information Systems at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Caleb Afaglo, have described as illegal the decision to dismiss their client from his position.
According to them, the members of the board of SSNIT failed to follow the laid down processes in removing their client from office.
[contextly_sidebar id=”BRchBwO5mGdanSwI36ymo48bUzHJ8vEO”]Speaking to Citi News one of Mr. Afaglo’s Lawyers. Charles Owusu Juana said they are considering seeking redress on the matter.
This is after SSNIT, in a statement released on Wednesday, said evidence made available to the Trust indicated that the university degrees presented by Mr. Afaglo to secure his employment at the Trust were fake, hence his dismissal.
Mr. Owusu Juana said, “when you get to the GM [General Manager] level and these things are happening, there are rules and regulations. I don’t think that they have gone through that regulation properly. They have not given him the opportunity to defend himself.”
“…Secondly, his constitutional rights have been breached. The procedures in SSNIT have not been followed properly. His credibility as a young man has been [compromised]. I believe that there should be redress,” the lawyer added.
Mr. Afaglo was originally interdicted by SSNIT on July 13, 2017, pending an EOCO investigation into his academic and professional qualifications.
Background
Suspicions arose earlier in 2017 with the controversy over SSNIT’s award of a $34 million contract for the development and implementation of an Operational Business Suite (OBS), which later ballooned to $72 million.
According to Citi News‘ checks, EOCO’s investigation was to ascertain the authenticity of Mr. Afaglo’s doctorate degree, and his tenure in previous organizations, with the suspicion that he was unqualified for the role he occupied at the state pension organization.
It is believed that his questionable qualifications contributed to failings within the Trust that led to the contract award with its attendant expenditure overruns.
EOCO conducted raids in his house, seized his passport and froze his bank account.
The crime office also interrogated members of Mr. Afaglo’s household, confiscated a number of documents belonging to him, spoke to former employers of his, including SIMNET, GLICO and Dominion University College.
EOCO is also investigating Mr. Afaglo’s BSC and MBA from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. from the Kennedy Western University, which was an affiliate of the University of Cincinnati until it was closed down in 2011.
SSNIT gave Mr. Afaglo, who was appointed in October 2015 and confirmed in July 2016, a letter interdicting him on July 13, 2017, pending the outcome of an EOCO investigation into his academic and professional qualifications.
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By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana