Ford gift saga: CHRAJ demands better particulars from CPP youth

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has replied to the petition presented by the Youth League of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) by asking for more details following its request for a probe into President John Mahama’s conduct in the matter of a Ford Expedition present gifted him by a Burkinabe contractor, Djibril Kanazoe..

Mr. Mahama came under fire from anti-graft bodies and opposition parties recently after the revelation of the gift by the contractor, who had subsequently benefitted from several contracts by the government of Ghana after his offer.

Unhappy with the circumstances surrounding the gift, and possible conflict of interest by the president, the CPP Youth League petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on the matter in a letter dated June 20, 2016.

According to the Commission’s response in a letter dated July 13, 2016, which was signed by Ayamdoo Charles, Director for Anti-Corruption, on behalf of the CHRAJ boss, the CPP youth are supposed to “clarify the capacity in which the complaint was brought to the commission”.

The petitioners are also required to provide further evidence if any, apart from the link to the story which was published by Joy FM’s Manasseh Azure Awuni, whose work led to the allegations.

The petitioners have until 10am on July 20, to provide the requests for any further action by the Commission.

The leader of the National Youth League, Ernesto Yeboah, is currently serving an indefinite suspension together with the party’s General Secretary, Nii Armah Akomfrah.

The two clashed with the party’s flagbearer Ivor Greenstreet over their stance on the controversial gift to Mr Mahama.

While the two and the party’s Youth League condemned the gift, the flagbearer said it did not “feel wrong” for the president to accept the gift.

According to the party’s communication director, Rauf Kadir, the suspension of the two has to do with “proven misbehaviour”, explaining that “their comments and behaviour have been contradicting” the stance of the party for some time now.

Mr. Yeboah, however, maintained that they were being victimised by the party for their stance on corruption and their insistence that the president be made to answer for his conduct in the vehicle gift saga.