$12m EC Bribe: Akufo-Addo petitioned to probe, sack Dadzawa

Two private Ghanaians: Malik Basintale, a student of the University of Ghana, and Eric Adjei, a student of KAAF University, have petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo to investigate and sack Mrs Pauline Adobea Dadzawa, one of the Commissioners of the Electoral Commission for “incompetence” and “misbehaviour” as far as her comments on a leaked tape is concerned.

On the said tape, Dadzawa is heard claiming the Mahama administration attempted bribing then-EC Chairperson Mrs Charlotte Osei and her six other commissioners, so they could rig the results of the 2016 elections in favour of the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC).

She further claimed that Deputy Minister of Communication at the time, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, through whom the bribe was channeled, stole half of the amount upon realising that there was nothing the commissioners could do to overturn the results, which were indicating victory for the then-opposition New Patriotic Party.

The petition, dated Monday, 9 July 2018 explained that the leaked tape contains purported comments to the effect that some past presidents including former President John Agyekum Kufour paid monies to staff of the commission to show gratitude after elections.

“….The content of that tape as secretly recorded, indeed, clearly demonstrated true acts of misbehaviour, misconduct, public sector breaches among others that had been going on at the Electoral Commission since 2004 after the appointment of Mrs Pauline Dadzawa by former President John Agyekum Kufour,” portions of the petition cited by ClassFMonline.com stated.



The petitioners are, therefore, imploring President Nana Akufo-Addo to commission an “intense investigation into the authenticity of the leaked tape, compel Mrs Pauline Dadzawa to step aside as member of the Electoral Commission, subject Mrs Pauline Dadzawa to public scrutiny and further strip her of her duties and post if found guilty, as such acts will only undermine the credibility and integrity of the Electoral Commission and such bad precedence may even affect those who may come after if not properly dealt with”.