CHRAJ will not ask Ofori-Atta to stay out of office - Emile Short

Justice Emile Francis Short, a former Commissioner at the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative (CHRAJ), has explained that the Finance Minister will not be asked to stay out of office by the commission despite a petition filed against him by undercover investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

According to him, such decisions are solely for the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Explaining how the process works of investigating conflict of interest works, Short told Accra-based TV3, Monday, November 22, that:

“I don’t know exactly what the issue is, but basically, when CHRAJ receives a complaint it will send it 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.”

Anas Aremeyaw Anas in his petition to CHRAJ urged the Commission to look into allegations that the private companies of both Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and former Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, benefitted from loans and bonds entered into by Ghana.

Joseph Whittal, CHRAJ Commissioner said the Commission received an official complaint from the undercover journalist and is assessing the materials presented to it.

“The allegations are that there is a conflict of interest in terms of their official duties as public officers and the companies in which they have interest in terms of government bonds and so the case is going through the standard process of assessment in order to make sure that it meets the procedural requirement under the Commission’s regulation as well as whether it is really within the mandate of the Commission. Based on that, we will then decide what next steps to take,” Whittal told Accra-based Joy News.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has also commenced investigations into the same corruption allegations levelled against Charles Adu Boahen in the exposé after President Akufo-Addo’s referral of the matter to the Office.

Charles Adu Boahen was dismissed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after allegations that he received some monies to facilitate a meeting between undercover investigators disguised as investors and Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Per a Tiger Eye PI documentary dubbed 'Galamsey Economy', Adu Boahen said Bawumia could be paid $200,000 as an appearance fee for investors. This is in addition to positions offered to the Vice President’s siblings – a claim the dismissed Minister of State has denied.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta when he appeared before the ad-hoc committee hearing a vote of censure against him denied being embroiled in a conflict of interest as stated in the allegations by the Minority that his company, Databank Limited have been benefitting from transactions on government bond issuance.

Ofori-Atta said the proponents’ allegations do not have “weight for censure”.

Black Star Brokerage, owned by Charles Adu Boahen, has also been named as one of the firms playing the role of financial advisors to government transactions on the international bond market.



PEN/SARA