CHRAJ probe on Ofori-Atta: Only Akufo-Addo can ask finance minister to step aside - Emile Short

Former Commissioner of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative (CHRAJ), Emile Short, has said that CHRAJ has no power to ask Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to step aside as it looks into a petition filed against him by Tiger Eye PI.

The current Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal, disclosed that CHRAJ has received a petition from Tiger Eye PI, the outfit of investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, to investigate Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

According to Whittal, Ana’s outfit wants CHRAJ to investigate Ofori-Atta for the conflict of interest allegation levelled against him for the involvement of his bank, Data Bank, in loans to the government of Ghana.

He added that the commission is currently examining the petition to determine whether it has merit.

In response, Emile Short stated that the CHRAJ will send the accusation against Ofori-Atta and expect him to respond within 10 days.

He, however, indicated that it is only President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who has the power to ask Ofori-Atta to temporarily vacate his position as he is being investigated, 3newsroom.com reports.

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“I don’t know exactly what the issue is, but basically, when CHRAJ receives a complaint, it will send to the person against whom the complaint is made and that person has to respond within a specified period, normally ten days. The response will be sent back to the complainant, in this case Anas, for his response.

“CHRAJ will not ask the Finance Minister to stay out of office, that is the matter for the President to determine,” he is quoted to have said on TV3 news.

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