On Thursday, CHRAJ released a report ostensibly exonerating the President of any wrongdoing in the Ford gift saga, following a petition by the youth wing of the Convention People’s Party (CPP). CHRAJ however noted that, the President breached the gift policy, when he accepted the gift.

The CPP youth wing was demanding a probe into the conduct of the President when he accepted the gift from the Burkinabe contractor as Vice President in 2012.

The group believed the President’s action constituted conflict of interest, but CHRAJ cleared him of that.

But speaking to Citi News, Dr. Apaak, who once worked for a CSO that promoted good governance and transparency among others, contended that, a holistic assessment of the situation shows that President Mahama did not even breach the gift policy, since the gift was declared for public use.

According to him, “if he [Mahama] had taken the gift and applied it to personal use or if he had applied it for family use, then he could be accused of breaching that aspect of the gift policy… Instantly, he gave directive for the gift to be put to public use and that is what we expect from the people we have decided to lead us as our representatives.”

“The fact that he never put this personally his use or public use, in the layman’s point of view, it is something that is commendable and should exonerate the President of all claims and all accounts as has been indicated by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice’s (CHRAJ) report,” he added.

Mahama can’t be trusted – Petitioners

Despite President Mahama coming out of the CHRAJ probe relatively unscathed, the youth leader in the CPP, who initiated the petition to CHRAJ, Ernesto Yeboah, believes the outcome of the probe shows the President cannot be trusted to protect the sanctity of the country’s laws and policies.

Speaking on CHRAJ’s findings on Eyewitness News, Mr. Yeboah said the breach in police on the President’s part constituted failure on his part to respect and protect policies that serve the interest of the country.

“We elected him to protect the constitution of Ghana now he failed in doing so . The man who is occupying the highest office of the land cannot be trusted..He has a track record of breaching policies regarding gifts in this country.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mahama didn’t breach ‘Gift Policy’ – Clement Apaak appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“Today is a day of shame for them, they [critics] have been exposed that they are only trying to destroy a gem, a pearl that we have,” he said on Eyewitness News.

Kofi Adams, who doubles as the National Organizer of the NDC, also hailed the report as proof that President John Mahama “is not somebody that anyone can bribe, that President Mahama did not receive a bribe and that the gift of ford was not intended to bribe him or influence him in anyway.”

Mahama breached gift policy – CHRAJ

Following a petition by the youth wing of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), demanding a probe into the conduct of the President when he accepted a Ford Expedition gift from a Burkinabe contractor as Vice President in 2012, CHRAJ said it did not find him guilty of bribery and conflict of interest.

CHRAJ however noted that, the President breached the gift policy, when he accepted the gift as Vice President in 2012.

Breach of policy does not mean Mahama is guilty

Kofi Adams conceded that President Mahama may have violated policy as concluded by CHRAJ, but he asserted that the outcome “doesn’t mean that he [Mahama] is guilty… they did not find him guilty as far as the whole gift matter is concerned.”

He contended further that, President Mahama had purely noble intentions when he accepted the gift as “he had in mind clearly what he was going to use the gift for and that the gift was meant to be used by the state.”

As further justification of President Mahama’s actions, he said, “look into history and look at conventions and practice. Almost all our Heads of State from Dr. Kwame Nkrumah all the way to President Kufuor and the late President Mills, have all at one time or the other received gifts, some of which they have passed onto the State.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mahama has shamed critics over Ford gift saga – Kofi Adams appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Commission however said President Mahama broke the policy on gift giving, by accepting a gift of that magnitude, from a Burkinabe contractor, as Vice President in 2012.

Tony Lithur in a statement said “while I was always confident of my client’s innocence, the report throws more light  he always remained confident in his client’s innocence and that “the report demonstrates clearly to the people of Ghana that the accusation of conflict of the interest and corruption, variously made against my client by different people and entities in various fora, were wrong, without basis and unsupported by the facts.”

He further commended CHRAJ “for discharging its constitutional mandate with dispatch, and hoped that the clarity and completeness of its determination of all the issue, will finally lay this matter to rest once for all.”

Mr. Lithur’s statement however failed to comment on the President’s breach of the code of conduct on gift-giving.

What CHRAJ said…

CHRAJ said the gift in question formed part of gifts prohibited under the Gift Policy under the Code of Conduct, and that although the evidence shows that President Mahama subsequently surrendered the gift to the State, the action nonetheless contravened the gift policy.

“Whilst the Respondent contravened the Gift Policy by accepting the Ford vehicle, his actions after the gift was made clearly cured any conflict of interest that could have been occasioned. In the circumstances, the Commission is satisfied that the Respondent’s conduct did not violate Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.”

The Commission said although the President violated the policy, the action did not amount to accepting a bribe because upon evidence, the President submitted the Ford Expedition gift to the state.

CHRAJ also established that, the President was not culpable of conflict of interest, bribery or fraud in relation to the manner in which the vehicle was given to him.

“At the end of the preliminary investigation the Commission has come to the conclusion, based on the extensive evidence assembled, that the allegations that the Respondent has contravened Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution by putting himself in situations of conflict of interest has not been substantiated. Consequently, the Commission holds that full or further investigations into the allegations are not warranted. The allegations therefore, are hereby dismissed.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mahama’s lawyer hails CHRAJ’s report on Ford gift saga appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.