Speaking earlier at a news conference in Accra, the Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, said the deal, which cost the country a revenue loss of GHc30 million through the sale of 1.8 million barrels of crude oil to BB Energy, was avoidable.

The Executive Secretary of COPEC , Duncan Amoah on Eyewitness News explained that investigation by the Special Prosecutor has become necessary, given that the said transaction was fraught with some inconsistencies.

[contextly_sidebar id=”p3EdpmEGd66bRaagq34hBzQsF9XOZpEf”]“We think that circumstances surrounding the fields are still shrouded in a lot of shady activities. We have questioned the need to provide an instant transaction that was secured. Why will you sell to a company that has no license at all to do so? There are a lot of inconsistencies as far as this crude transaction is concerned, and we believe that the Special Prosecutor just like all well-meaning Ghanaians, would want to get to the bottom of this matter to see where certain things were not done right.”

Mr. Amoah believes a thorough investigation by the Special Prosecutor will also avert the huge debt hanging on BOST and other petroleum companies.

“Certain financial laws might have been occasioned, we would want to see to it that issues are corrected so that going forward, the kind of debt that we have today hanging on BOST and other petroleum companies will be averted and the consumer will not be asked to pay for it another time.”

Duncan Amoah had earlier accused BOST of causing financial loss to the state in the alleged sale of crude oil to BB Energy below the international market price.

The Managing Director of BOST, Obeng Boateng, however rubbished these claims, describing them as false and baseless.

Mr. Obeng Boateng said Duncan Amoah was simply an “enemy to the progress” and should “be ignored at all times.”

BOST MD sues Duncan Amoah

He subsequently sued Duncan Amoah, demanding GHc5 million in damages.

According to Mr. Obeng Boateng, Mr. Amoah made a false claim when he suggested that he [ Alfred Obeng Boateng] through his agents, had threatened to take his life, following the fresh allegations of financial malfeasance he leveled against him and the BOST.

Energy committee to probe BOST

The Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament also waded into the controversy, saying it will probe the matter.

The Chairman of the Committee, Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi said BOST and other interested parties in the matter will be engaged to better inform the Committee on how to deal with the issue.

“We engaged BOST before this issue came up, and we were scheduled to meet them again when this issue came up. We want to take our time and meet them and do proper due diligence; we have to get the necessary documentation so that we can reach an informed decision,” he said.

2017 contaminated fuel scandal

In 2017, BOST was widely criticized for selling 5 million litres of contaminated fuel to two unlicensed companies, Movenpinaa and Zup Oil, which were allegedly set up a few days before the sale, costing Ghana about GHc 7 million in revenue.

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) also confirmed that the two companies alleged to have purchased the over 5 million litres of contaminated fuel under suspicious circumstances from BOST were not licensed.

According to the NPA, it was going to take legal action against the firms, while it conducted further investigations.

The Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, also set up an investigative committee to look into the matter, which eventually cleared BOST and its Managing Director, Alfred Obeng Boateng of wrongdoing, citing a Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and National Security reports.

There were however calls to initiate fresh investigations into the matter amid discontent from the Minority in Parliament and some Civil Society groups.

As a result of the scandal, the Energy Minister stated that private firms were no longer allowed to lift contaminated oil from BOST as part of interim measures to prevent the supply of contaminated fuel onto the Market.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The Health Insurance Authority has announced plans to increase the health insurance scheme levy by 1 percent, moving it from 2.5 to 3.5 percent.

[contextly_sidebar id=”qd8A2xmkiUQuJ6aiId3uI06d6vRAEIWb”]However, the General Secretary of the [ICU], Solomon Kotei, in suggesting other viable revenue generation strategies for the NHIA, indicated that, the Authority should block loopholes in their system instead of raising levies.

Highlighting some challenges hampering the NHIA’s efforts at increasing revenue, Mr. Kotei said: “There has been a lot of malfeasance going on at the NHIA, and it’s not been made known to us through investigation. We were informed that a lot of people ran away to some countries. Have they retrieved those monies or it is gone for good? We have people who are benefiting from the NHIA who don’t contribute anything to it. I am referring to people from Cote D’lvoire, Togo, Nigeria and India.”

Mr. Kotei believes NHIA’s revenue generation will also improve if people in the informal sector are made to pay for services the Authority offers them.

“The typical informal sector is also not contributing anything .What are they doing to get them to also contribute to their own health? I am not saying they should pay the amount that we are paying, but once they are beneficiaries they should also contribute something to it,” he explained.

This is not the NHIA’s first attempt at increasing the levy. In September 2017, the NHIA indicated that, it had made a proposal to the government to levy tobacco and alcohol to fund the scheme.

The Authority had explained that, the proposal was one of the options of finding additional sources of funding to sustain the policy, since the 2.5 percent NHIS levy collected under the Value Added Tax (VAT), and the 2.5 percentage Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions appear to be adequate.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ICU to petition Parliament to stop NHIS levy increase appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The public hearing from 6^th to 12^th February 2018, will only be to discuss the petition for the creation of a new region in the Bono East area. The petition for the creation of a new region in the Ahafo area will be discussed at the public hearings from 13th to 17th February 2018.

Persons who wish to appear before the Commission may do so at the venues and times indicated above.

[contextly_sidebar id=”7p4aGmfPaRgBGjGi74A4QddoHQeUgiXf”]The Akufo-Addo administration advanced plans to create three new regions with the inauguration of a nine-member Commission of Enquiry in 2017, to collate views that will lead to carving out new regions from existing ones.

President Nana Akufo-Addo inaugurated the commission which is chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice, Stephen Allan Brobbey.

The Commission is expected to conduct consultative sessions leading to referenda for the creation of the regions.

The attempts to create new regions are in fulfillment of the New Patriotic Party’s campaign promise to carve new regions out of the Brong Ahafo, Western, Northern and Volta Regions.

The minister-nominee for Regional reorganization Dan Botwe, has said the creation of new regions will enhance economic opportunities as well as promote effective governance.

According to him, the creation of new regions by the New Patriotic Party government is not for political advantage, but it is to help ensure even distribution of development across the country.

But there appears to be mixed feelings from inhabitants of the Volta Region on the proposed creation of a new region out of the Volta Region, after the Commission overseeing the processes began its public hearings in Ho.

The Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional State in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region, Togbega Gabusu VI, has asked that the creation of a new region out of the existing Volta Region, should not affect the current boundaries of the Hohoe Municipality.

The Hohoe Municipality consists of nine traditional areas with Togbega Gabusu VI presiding over the Gbi State. There are indications that four of the traditional areas including Lolobi, Santro Kofi, Likpe and Akpafu, who are mostly Guans, wish to join the proposed new region.

Togbega Gabusu advised that attempts to take any of the traditional areas from the jurisdiction might not inure to the benefit and the development of the Hohoe Municipality.

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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Commission on new regions to hold public hearings in B/A appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In the wake of the establishment of a prima facie case against Mrs. Osei following allegations of corruption and abuse of office leveled against her in two separate petitions, NDC Member of Parliament for Tamale North Constituency, Suhuyini Alhassan, has stated that the governing NPP is on an agenda to dismiss the former.

[contextly_sidebar id=”VfSLdlBrf65oLiCljPbfELnI4cYOGtX2″]“Some people in the opposition, when the woman was appointed, vowed and pledged and said they will move heaven and earth to frustrate her and make sure that she doesn’t work as the Electoral Commission Chair,” Mr. Alhassan had suggested.

The MP could however not mention the name of a single NPP member or official who made that statement or pledge. Some other NDC members have made similar allegations but without proof.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, the Director of Communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhin, dismissed these claims, saying the President has no interest in replacing the EC Chairperson.

“I am really surprised by the kind of posturing being put up by the leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Members of Parliament, and I have said this before, and I will say it again that President Nana Addo has no interest or whatsoever in who becomes the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. It is none of our business. The most important is we have a mandate to deliver on, and that is the mandate of change the people of Ghana voted precisely for, and that is what we are focusing on. Whoever becomes head of Electoral Commission in all honesty we are not really bothered about that. All that matters is that, we move this country forward.”

Some had suggested that the President’s decision to forward the petition to Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, when he could have used his discretion, showed that he was on a deliberate mission to get Mrs. Osei removed.

Mr. Arhin in a sharp rebuttal pooh-poohed these claims, saying the “President had no discretion to exercise” in relation to this petition.

Citing more examples to support his claim, Mr. Arhin sought to find out whether former President John Dramani Mahama exercised his discretion when a petition was filed against the former CHRAJ Commissioner, saying “when a petition was sent to President Mahama with respect to Lauretta Lamptey, did the President have any discretion to exercise? Didn’t he follow the laid down procedures as stipulated by the law.”

According to him, it was impossible for President Nana Addo to simply gloss over the issue when Article 146 (3) of the constitution binds him to adhere strictly to the rules and regulations in cases of this nature.

The Petitions

Some staff of the EC petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa 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 unnamed EC staff are being represented by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, against Mrs. Osei.

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.

Charlotte Osei takes on Deputies

Mrs. Osei also responded by making allegations of corruption against her deputies, claiming that she was only being hounded because she sought to introduce systems to curb misuse and mismanagement of resources.

Charlotte Osei among other claims, accused deputy Chairperson of the Commission of illegally signing contracts worth over GHC 40 million without her approval.

Fresh impeachment against EC Chair

Subsequently, another individual by name Douglas Seidu, a concerned Ghanaian, also petitioned the President in August 2017, seeking the removal of the EC Chair, on grounds of “financial misconduct, incompetence, conflict of interest, breaches of the public procurement processes, amongst others.

It is an eight-paged petition” according to the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, who spoke to Citi News in August.

President Akufo-Addo in accordance with the constitution forwarded both petitions to the Chief Justice to look into the matter.

Suggestions are that both petitions have been consolidated to make the committee’s work easier.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post Nana Addo not interested in removing EC Chair – Eugene Arhin appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Their demand follows the establishment of a prima facie case against Mrs. Osei, following allegations of corruption and abuse of office leveled against her in two separate petitions.

[contextly_sidebar id=”VGavdwaY4GwXWBqqZu5w1xgiiH8N7ekz”]The PPP in a statement explained that, it will present “evidence against the Electoral Commission of Ghana” if given the chance to join the case.

“As a lawful 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,” it argued.

Giving further explanations on the party’s request on Eyewitness News, Policy Adviser for PPP, Kofi Asamoah Siaw said : “over the years, the Electoral Commission and some other institutions have conducted public service in a manner in which they please and they have hurt this nation’s progress and development, so we have taken issues with the Electoral Commission’s function of being a regulator of the activities of political parties.”

“We may not want to wait for this petition to be concluded. You will understand and appreciate that it has taken us a long time from July to this time for us to get to the beginning of the investigation. If anybody has any evidence of misconduct and issues bordering on perjury, then it is the appropriate time now to cease the opportunity as a party to make a representation of what we feel may constitute a ground for another petition to be sent to the President,” Mr. Siaw added.

The PPP is one of the parties that engaged in a back and forth with the EC ahead of the 2016 elections, after its presidential candidate, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, was disqualified from the race over claims by the EC that it had failed in meeting some requirements.

The party headed to court and had a ruling in its favour that allowed its flagbearer to contest the race.

The Petitions

Some staff of the EC petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa 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 unnamed EC staff are being represented by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, against Mrs. Osei.

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.

Charlotte Osei takes on Deputies

Mrs. Osei also responded by making allegations of corruption against her deputies, claiming that she was only being hounded because she sought to introduce systems to curb misuse and mismanagement of resources.

Charlotte Osei among other claims, accused deputy Chairperson of the Commission of illegally signing contracts worth over GHC 40 million without her approval.

Fresh impeachment against EC Chair

Subsequently, another individual by name Douglas Seidu, a concerned Ghanaian, also petitioned the President in August 2017, seeking the removal of the EC Chair, on grounds of “financial misconduct, incompetence, conflict of interest, breaches of the public procurement processes, amongst others.

It is an eight-paged petition” according to the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, who spoke to Citi News in August.

President Akufo-Addo in accordance with the constitution forwarded both petitions to the Chief Justice to look into the matter.

Suggestions are that both petitions have been consolidated to make the committee’s work easier.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post PPP seeks to join petition against EC Chair, deputies appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that a five-member committee has been set up by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, to investigate the alleged acts of corruption involving the Electoral Commission Chair, and her two Deputies, Amadu Sulley (in charge of Operations) and Georgina Amankwa (in charge of Corporate Services.

Some staff of the EC petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa 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 unnamed EC staff, are being represented by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, against Mrs. Osei.

The petition against her, alleged among others the funneling 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.

Amadu Sulley ‘illegally’ took GHC 6m from parties – Charlotte Osei

Mrs. Osei also responded by making allegations of corruption against her deputies, claiming that she was only being hounded because she sought to introduce systems to curb misuse and mismanagement of resources.

EC Deputy Chair ‘illegally’ signed over GHC40m contract – Charlotte Osei

Charlotte Osei among others, accused deputy Chairperson of the Commission of illegally signing contracts worth over GHC 40 million without her approval.

Fresh impeachment against EC Chair

Subsequently, another individual by name Douglas Seidu, a concerned Ghanaian, also petitioned the President in August 2017, seeking the removal of the EC Chair, on grounds of  “financial misconduct, incompetence, conflict of interest, breaches of the public procurement processes, amongst others. It is an eight-paged petition ” according to the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, who spoke to Citi News in August.

President Akufo-Addo in accordance with the constitution forwarded both petitions to the Chief Justice to look into the matter.

Suggestions are that both petitions have been consolidated to make the committee’s work easier.

Deal with Charlotte Osei petitions to save EC’s integrity – Inusah

The Ranking Member on the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament, Inusah Fuseini, recently called on the Chief Justice to hurriedly determine whether a prima facie case has been established against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) Charlotte Osei, in order to clear any lingering doubts about the integrity of the Commission’s leadership.

According to him, there is a risk of “paralyzing” the EC from carrying out its constitutionally mandated functions if the allegations against the EC Chair and other officials of the Commission are allowed to fester without any timely resolution.

CODEO questions ‘silence’ on missing Ghc480,000 EC endowment fund probe

The Coalition of Domestic Elections Observers (CODEO), also expressed reservations about the silence of the agencies investigating the disappearance of money from the Electoral Commission (EC)’s Endowment Fund.

According to the Coalition, it is imperative that the country’s election supervisory body is free from any issues that might raise doubts about the EC’s integrity. Reports are that EOCO has concluded its probe into the matter, after the suspects were asked to proceed on leave.

The officials are the Commission’s Deputy Chairperson in-charge of Finance and Administration, Georgina Opoku Amankwah, Chief Accountant, Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi and Finance Officer, Joseph Kwaku Asamoah.

Money not in officials’ accounts

EOCO revealed in September that, the money which went missing from the EC’s Endowment Fund did not end up in the accounts of the officials being investigated.

They however insisted that it was too early to conclude that the officials are innocent, given the mandate and access they had to the funds during the period.

Speaking to Accra-based Peace FM, the Executive Director of EOCO, K. K. Amoah, at the time, stated that, investigations were far advanced into the matter, and that they would submit their findings to the Attorney General very soon.

“We are still on the case. I met with my colleagues and we noticed that, the money did not end up in the accounts of the officials, so right now it is missing,” he said.

“It is too early to conclude anyone is innocent because [Georgina Opoku Amankwah] was in charge of the Endowment Fund and [Asamoah] was the auditor at the time. In a few days, we’ll make our determinations.”

According to him, there have been claims that the money from the Endowment Fund was used for some projects for the EC, but he said no documents have been provided to prove this claim.

“It’s been suggested that the money was used for some work for the EC. If that’s the case, they should bring receipts and documents to prove it. We haven’t got any such documents from them. Without those documents, we’ll continue to pursue them. With time, we will pass the information on to the Attorney General to pursue the matter in court.”

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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie & Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Charlotte Osei, 2 deputies meet CJ over ‘corruption’ probe appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, there is a risk of “paralyzing” the EC from carrying out its constitutionally mandated functions if the allegations against the EC Chair and other officials of the Commission are allowed to fester without any timely resolution.

[contextly_sidebar id=”8vo6PTviymJHcRm204XuiedrfnM1uI4y”]“The petition must be disposed of quickly, that’s why in the Office of the Special prosecutor’s Bill we are setting out timelines for the determination of prima facie issues in a petition of that nature. We cannot determine the merit of the petition in perpetuity, there must be timelines,” he said.

“The fact that there are no timelines means that the recipients of the petition must determine with alacrity, whether or not, there is merit. That is the only way that you can restore some modicum of confidence in the generality of Ghanaians and also ensure that the EC can function and function well.”

Two petitions, calling for the impeachment of Charlotte Osei as the EC Chair, were submitted to the President in July and August 2017, and were subsequently forwarded to the Chief Justice to determine whether a prima facie case could be established.

The first petition was presented by some unnamed staff of the EC, whilst the second was submitted by one Douglas Seidu, and was said to contain at least 15 allegations against the Commission’s head, including the unilateral award of contracts in the run-up to the 2016 general election.

However, since the petitions were forwarded to her office, the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, is yet to make a determination on whether a prima facie case has been established against Madam Osei.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, the Tamale Central MP, Inusah Fuseini, stated that the failure to resolve the issues at the EC was worrying and could affect the timelines which had been set out for various elections set to be held in the country.

“The office will be paralyzed in carrying out its functions, and that will be very disastrous for our democratic transition and democratic governance. We have got key timetables to meet certain basic requirements. Requirements for the election of assembly members clearly must be met,” he noted.

“We are thinking of creating districts which will be a function of the EC. The EC must in conjunction with the Local Government Act demarcate the districts in such a way that they don’t traverse constituencies so they clearly have a lot of roles to play. At that level, it’s a functional problem.”

The Coalition of Domestic Elections Observers (CODEO), expressed reservations about the silence of the agencies investigating the disappearance of money from the Electoral Commission (EC)’s Endowment Fund.

According to the Coalition, it is imperative that the country’s election supervisory body is free from any issues that might raise doubts about its integrity.

His point was reiterated by Inusah Fuseini, who argued that the impasse at the EC had also dented the public’s confidence in the Commission’s ability to fairly oversee the country’s elections.

“At the level of elections at the Parliamentary and Presidential level, it’s a question of credibility and transparency. The credibility of every election is very important and the people who occupy the office must inspire confidence in the generality of Ghanaians.”

‘No right to ask officials to go on leave’

EOCO commenced investigations into the activities of three officials of the EC; Georgina Opoku Amankwah, Chief Accountant, Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi, and Finance Officer, Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, after over 480,000 cedis reportedly went missing, resulting in the officials being asked to proceed on leave.

However, the Policy adviser for the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Kofi Asamoah Siaw, has questioned this action,l stating that the officials could only have been asked to go on leave once a prima facie case was established.

“Article 146 is very clear that the President can suspend a deputy Chair or Chairperson when the Chief Justice has set up its Committee and there’s constitution being made. It appears that if there’s a misconduct on the part of a member of the Commission, and when an investigation is being undertaken post the establishment of a prima facie case, that’s when we can suspend anybody or ask anybody to go on leave. An investigation by EOCO cannot usurp the constitutional protection given to chairpersons of the Commission,” he said on Eyewitness News.   

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Deal with Charlotte Osei petitions to save EC’s integrity – Inusah appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The employees in a statement insisted Mrs. Osei should be impeached for among others, bringing the “Commission’s name into disrepute by single highhandedly petitioning EOCO on an alleged misappropriation of staff endowment fund for malicious reasons. ”

[contextly_sidebar id=”Rw8Yl93QiDZIknXDJbTpNjcXqjdZE7L7″]They further revealed that following her appointment as EC Chair, Mrs. Osei “compromised the independence and neutrality of the Commission by arranging for 2015 V8 Land Cruiser with registration WR 2291-15 from the office of the President for use as official vehicle without going through the procurement process or recourse to the Commission.”

The aggrieved employees also alleged that Mrs Osei “unilaterally awarded a contract to the tune of GHS 3.9 million for demarcation and partitioning of the said office complex without recourse to the Commission” and “engaged in cronyism” by “awarding another contract to the tune of $14,310,961 (United State Dollars) to her cronies for the construction of Pre-fabricated District offices without recourse to the Commission. ”

“The value of these contracts is in excess of the approved threshold by the Public Procurement Authority. One of the contractors by name Messrs Contracts & Cads Limited is related to Mrs. Charlotte Osei. Upon receipt of advance mobilization under the approval of the Chairperson, the company has failed to meet the contract terms.”

The petition was signed by the lawyer for the employees, Maxwell Opoku Agyemang.

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.

Dr. Kweku Asamoah however refused to obey the directive, arguing that he was neither the Director of Finance nor holding any position to influence management’s decision regarding financial administration of the Endowment Fund, when the scandal occurred.

He subsequently proceeded on leave after threats to sanction him over his refusal to obey the directive.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post EC staff petition Nana Addo to sack Charlotte Osei appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The driver, one Ernest Obri Lartey, in his petition, said the Chief Justice violated Article 146 (8) of the 1992 constitution with her handling of the judicial bribery scandal following the expose by the investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his firm, Tiger Eye Pi.

[contextly_sidebar id=”WKxvxecLDOKyDas3rkYxauXrecmMVbsu”]The petition recounted that she indicted the 34 judges and magistrates following the revelation, and subsequent petition to then President John Mahama for the removal of the judges.

The 34 judges were asked to respond to the petition, but Mr. Lartey said that before the indicted judges and magistrates could respond, the CJ published the contents of the petition in the media followed by the screening of the documentary detailing the revelation.

Mr. Lartey argued further that, the Chief Justice willfully violated the constitution because she discussed the contents of the petition from Anas with the petitioner before he submitted the petition, thus constituting ex parte communication.

This was after the Chief Justice had removed some judges from office for having been found to have communicated with one of the parties in a pending litigation, contrary to the conduct of the judges and magistrates in a 2005/06 case, according to Mr. Lartey.

“Since the Chief Justice finds Ex parte communication by judges and magistrate to be so grave that they have to be removed from office, she the Chief Justice should equally be removed from office for engaging in Ex parte Communication with the petitioner and eventually heard the same petition and made prima facie determinations. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.”

Claim of incompetence

To support his claim of incompetence against the Chief Justice, Mr. Lartey in his petition argued that “The Chief Justice’s incompetence is obvious when she failed to comply with the decision of the Supreme Court that any petition seeking the removal of the superior court under Article 146 (8) of the constitution. The Chief Justice sat in the Agyei Twum Case when the Supreme Court made the declaration yet the chief justice in this instance, violated the same Article 146 (8) of the constitution.”

Meanwhile, the CJ  has already announced that she will be officially retiring from active service in the next few months.

Some of the affected judges in the judicial corruption scandal, notably Justice Dery and Habib Logoh, are already in court fighting numerous battles against the CJ in a  bid to clear their names.

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

The post Driver petitions Nana Addo to remove CJ for ‘incompetence’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Chief Justice was petitioned by one Richard Asante Yeboah, who argued that a live telecast of the proceedings would bolster confidence in the legal system and ensure that due process is followed.

Mr. Yeboah also explained that, the move will ensure transparency.

But in a letter signed by the Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex Poku-Acheampong, the Chief Justice indicated that, the live telecast of cases are not normal court practice.

“I have been directed by the honourable Ladyship Chief Justice to inform you that, regrettably, she is unable to accede your request for a live telecast of the above-mentioned case as it is not the normal practice by the judiciary,” a letter sighted by Citi News said.

The only time the Chief Justice allowed cameras in the Supreme Court room was during the 2012 Election Petition case in which the New Patriotic Party and its flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo challenged the 2012 presidential election results.

Mr. Amidu, was granted permission by the Supreme Court to orally examine Mr. Woyome.

But Mr. Woyome’s lawyers filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to suspend the court’s decision to allow the oral examination.

The court thus adjourned the hearing of the case to December 1, 2016, because parties to the case; the Attorney General and Amidu, received the application late.

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

The post CJ rejects petition for live telecast of Amidu vs Woyome case appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.