EC Chair, deputies are all criminals – Kennedy Agyapong

Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has described the Electoral Commission Chair, Mrs. Charlotte Osei and her deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwa as ‘crooks’ and has called for their arrest.

According to him, these persons have drained the country’s resources and have looted state monies using their position. He said the Chair, Mrs. Osei’s revelations in her 27-point response to allegations levelled against her only buttresses the fact that there has been ‘rot’ at the commission overtime and there is a need for them to step aside to allow for proper investigations.

“Charlotte Osei wasn’t advised not to speak and that her response proves that she is part of the deal. If we want the truth, all three of them should be sacked and arrested. With their own evidence coming out, they need to be fired, it only shows they have deceived Ghanaians for a long time now.” “They are all criminals, they have to sack all three of them”, he said.

He expressed excitement at the fact that he has been vindicated following the allegations. According to him, the corrupt practices existed long before the assumption of office of the chairperson hence the allegations do not come as a surprise to him.

“I am not surprised at all because I’ve always said that this woman Charlotte Osei and his deputies are in bed with the NDC but immediately I start talking about her then the women advocate will rise up against me for attacking her. I guess this corrupt practices recently has vindicated me and people will now take me serious”.

A petition from some aggrieved staff of the Electoral commission, signed by Counsel for the staff, Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang sought that the Chair of the commission be impeached. The group cited among other things the breaching of the Procurement Law in procuring goods and services for the Commission.

Charlotte Osei following the petition responded, dismissing the claims levelled against her. She, in her response described her deputies as grossly “insubordinate” and “rude” and cited several instances where these deputies had breached their mandates.

Mrs. Charlotte Osei having been invited Wednesday before the house in Parliament for questioning over some unaccounted monies omitted in the commission’s 2017 financial report, told the house that the monies were intact and had been transferred into the commission’s GCB bank account, explaining that failure to document the details in the 2017 financial report was an oversight which she has to consult the Financial Director about.

According to her, the total amount of GHC 42,710 generated from the accreditation fees and the over GHC 2.5 million collected for replacing Voter’s ID Cards could not have been spent without the approval of the Financial Director.

She explained to Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensa Bonsu who queried her on when she found out about the monies that, she discovered the cash only after she requested for the Commission’s bank statement following an invitation from Parliament.

“When I got the letter from parliament inviting me to come and speak to how much we’ve collected for lost or replaced ID cards, then we requested the bank statement and what I found in the bank statement is what I have come to report to the House”.