{"id":382436,"date":"2017-12-11T17:45:26","date_gmt":"2017-12-11T17:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=382436"},"modified":"2017-12-11T18:07:23","modified_gmt":"2017-12-11T18:07:23","slug":"charlotte-osei-2-deputies-to-face-cttee-in-corruption-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/12\/charlotte-osei-2-deputies-to-face-cttee-in-corruption-probe\/","title":{"rendered":"Charlotte Osei, 2 deputies to face C\u2019ttee in ‘corruption’ probe"},"content":{"rendered":"
Citi News<\/strong> can confirm that a prima facie case has been established against the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, following allegations of corruption and abuse of office levelled against her in two separate petitions<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n Her two deputies, Amadu Sulley (in charge of Operations), and Georgina Amankwa (in charge of Corporate Services, will also have a case to answer for their alleged roles in the disappearance of some Ghc480, 000 from the Electoral Commission (EC)\u2019s Endowment Fund, among other allegations.<\/p>\n The three top EC officials today [Monday], appeared individually before the Chief Justice in the company of their lawyers, at the office of the Judicial Service located at the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n Charlotte to answer for only 6 allegations out of 27<\/strong><\/p>\n In the case of the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, Citi News<\/strong> sources say out of the 27 allegations made against her, only six of them were deemed valid, for which she would have to answer before the committee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A prima facie case is the establishment of a legally required rebuttable presumption, and a cause of action or defense that is sufficiently established by a party’s evidence to justify a verdict in his or her favour, provided such evidence is not rebutted by the other party.<\/p>\n Appointment of committee members<\/strong><\/p>\n The latest development means that, the Chief Justice will be preparing to officially inaugurate a five-member committee which will have three superior court judges and two ordinary citizens as members.<\/p>\n The judges will be appointed by the Chief Justice in consultation with the Judicial Council, whereas the two ordinary citizens will also be appointed by the Chief Justice, in consultation with the Council of State.<\/p>\n The Chief Justice and the Judicial Council, may now recommend to the President of the Republic the suspension of the EC Chair from her position, to enable her undergo the hearing, who will either approve it or not.<\/p>\n Already, one of the deputies, Georgina Opoku Amankwa, is serving a suspension over the issues brought against her by the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei.<\/p>\n The Petitions<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Some of the allegations involved the unilateral award of contracts by the EC boss in the run-up to the 2016 general election.<\/p>\n The unnamed EC staff are being represented by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, against Mrs. Osei.<\/p>\n The petition against her, alleged among others the funnelling of GH\u00a23.9 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.<\/p>\n Amadu Sulley \u2018illegally\u2019 took GHC 6m from parties \u2013 Charlotte Osei<\/strong><\/p>\n Mrs. Osei also responded by making allegations of corruption against her deputies<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, claiming that she was only being hounded because she sought to introduce systems to curb misuse and mismanagement of resources.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n