Fresh impeachment petition filed against Charlotte Osei

A new petition for impeachment has been filed against Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei.

The petition was filed on August 18 at the Presidency and is demanding that a process to remove the EC boss should be commenced over alleged breaches of public procurement practices and provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663), as well as gross financial mismanagement.

A source said the petitioner is not a staff of the EC but a concerned Ghanaian who wants to the conduct of Mrs. Osei to be investigated on grounds of stated misbehavior and incompetence.

At least 15 allegations have been leveled against Mrs. Osei in the new petition, and the petitioner is said to have listed all the offences allegedly committed by her.

Some of the allegations involved the unilateral award of contracts by the EC boss in the run-up to the 2016 general election.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has reportedly forwarded the petition to the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, pursuant to Article 146(3) of the 1992 Constitution.

Already, there is a petition from unnamed EC staff who are being led by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, against Mrs. Osei, which is pending before the Chief Justice.

In the initial petition, a litany of allegations have been levelled against her, including spending GH¢3.9 million to partition an office, receipt of a Toyota Land Cruiser from the erstwhile John Mahama-led NDC government, spending about $14 million when the Public Procurement Authority had authorised her to use only $7.5 million, as well as attending Cabinet meetings during the tenure of the President John Mahama, among other issues.