Jean Mensah bi di Chairperson of Electoral Commission
Ghana president John Mahama transfer 10 separate petitions against di kontri electoral commission (EC) boss Jean Mansa and di special prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng to di Chief Justice.
Seven of di petitions be against di EC chairperson Jean Mensa and her two deputies Dr Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey ova wetin di petitioners describe as "electoral mismanagement" and misconduct.
Three of di petitions dey against di special prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng who dey under pressure ova di way he dey handle high profile corruption cases.
Di special prosecutor dey under heavy pressure
According to di petitioners, di prosecutor handle di corruption investigation against di ex-finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, poorly.
Dis dey happun days afta one group demonstrate wey dem present petition to di presidency to remove di prosecutor.
Apostle Abraham Lincoln Larbi and one lawyer Martin Kpebu hit di street last week to demand di resignation of Kissi Agyebeng.
"Di office of special prosecutor now become waste of resources. Dem for dissolve di office and sack di prosecutor," Apostle Lincoln Larbi tok journalists during dat one-nan demonstration.
E add say "as a citizen I no dey impressed by di work of di prosecutor office, I neva see any proper case dem deal wit since dem set up di office."
Some anti-corruption campaigners agree say di prosecutor office no successfully deal wit any high-profile case, wey dem tink say e fit handle di ex-finance minister corruption case, and those of oda top ex-govment officials, beta.
One lawyer even accuse di prosecutor say e allow di ex-finance minister "run away" from di kontri bifor he now dey "pretend say he dey investigate am."
According to oga Martin Kpebu "Kissi Agyebeng dey responsible for di reason why di ex-finance minister go dey di US wey he no wan return to face accountability for di many corruption cases against him.
Di prosecutor office deny di allegations wey dem tok say as far as dem dey concerned, dem dey "discharge di mandate wey dem go hold all corrupt public officers accountable."
Kissi Agyebeng for one interview for di KSM show say di security agencies also no help his office at di time di ex-finance minister comot di kontri between 1-7 December 2024.
"We no get di cooperation of di oda security agencies at di time he go di US. We ask for all di gist about di ex-finance minister, but we no get; e become like dem put policy say make dem no allow di prosecutor office to do dia work."
Kiss Agyebeng add say "dat be di situation wey happun now dem dey ask me how I allow di ex-finance minister to run away. We no watch am wey he comot di kontri, we see am wey he lerf but we dey powerless."
Di prosecutor office say dem dey committed to fighting corruption, wey contrary to di claims by pipo say dem no deliver on dia work, di prosecutor office say dia actions save di kontri plenty money.
According to di official website of di special prosecutor, dis be di breakdown of dia success stories so far.
33 pipo dey stand trial wey di office secure seven convictions.
Dem also tok say dem recover Ghc 4.24m ($374k), wey dem also save di kontri Ghc 5.86m ($517k).
Di office of special prosecutor also add say dem suspend some govment transactions wey dey run into Ghc 6.42m ($566k).
Dem also say dem sensitize 22.1 pipo across di kontri about corruption and di need for citizens to join di fight by reporting wrongdoing.
Govment deny say dem dey involved for dis petitions
Govment communications minister oga Felix Kwakye Ofosu confam say di presidency receive di petitions wey di president forward dem to di chief Justice according to law.
"Every process wey di President gatz to undertake, already happun. Di process be clear," he tok on top local radio station Joy FM.
He add say "at dis stage di process comot di hands of di president. Beyond say di president go convey di petitions to di chief Justice, he no fit do anytin again."
"Everytin now dey di hand of di chief Justice; who I believe go act according to di law."
Pipo dey accuse di presidency and di govment say dem "cook di petitions for di presidency just to achieve dia aim to sack di electoral commission boss and her deputies."
While dem dey opposition, di current govment party officials and even di president (John Mahama) blast di electoral commission bosses say dem no dey do dia work well.
Some even tok say di electoral commission boss Jean Mensa and her deputy Dr Bossman Asare dey biased against di opposition party NDC at dat time, bifor dem win di 2024 elections.
But govment tok-tok pesin deny say govment dey involved for dis petition.
"Di pipo wey dey accuse di govment gatz to show proof of when di alleged cooking of di petition happun, not so.?"
"Di executive no fit to manipulate dis process - at all. Di committee wey go investigate di public officers if dem find say dem get questions to answer, go be committee wey di chief Justice select, no be di president."
Wetin go happun if di CJ find say di Jean Mensa, Kissi Agyebeng and di odas get questions to answer
In 2017, di President Nana Akufo-Addo forward one petition against di electoral commission chairperson and her two deputies to di chief Justice.
Charlotte Osei wey be di EC boss at dat time appear bifor di committee wey di chief Justice Sophia Akuffo set up, investigate her and her two deputies ova procurement irregularities.
After more than one year, di committee finish dia work wey dem recommend say make di president sack di electoral commission boss and her deputies sake of "stated misbehaviour and misconduct".
President Akufo-Addo accept di recommendation wey he sack di electoral commission bosses.
At dat time, many pipo criticize di whole process wey dem tok say ibi politically motivated.
Six years later, anoda electoral commission boss - dis time Jean Mensa dey face di same tin, togeda wit her deputies.
Di only difference be say dis time, many pipo file di petitions, no be only one pesin.
Some of di petitioners be staff of di commission wey dey demand di removal of dia boss., odas be civil society organizations, ordinary citizens and interest groups.
Dis be di first time at least seven petitions dey bifor di president for removal of a public officer.
Now, according to article 146 of di kontris 1992 constitution, dem no fit comot Justice of di superior court or chairman of tribunal except on grounds of "stated misbehaviour or incompetence or say di pesin dey sick."
Di process wey di petitions go follow according to law
.Di president gatz to refer di petition against di electoral commission to di chief Justice who go determine - prima facie (whether di pesin get questions to answer)
.If di chief Justice decide say prima facie case dey, he go set up committee wey get three justices of di superior courts or chairmen of di regional tribunals or both, appointed by di judicial council and two oda pipo wey no be members of di council of state or member of parliament, or lawyers
.Di committee go investigate di complaints and make dia recommendation to di chief Justice wey he also go forward am to di president
.Dis article (146) also tok say all di committee hearings go dey behind closed doors
Dem go hear di case of di EC chairperson and her deputies during di committee proceedings
Di president go now act wit Di recommendation of di committee
Removal of di special prosecutor
Section 15 of di Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) dey provide details of di removal of di SP, wit timelines.
.Just like di electoral commission bosses, dem no fit remove di special prosecutor unless sake of "stated misbehaviour or misconduct or if di pesin be sick".
Di oda reason why dem fit remove special prosecutor be if di pesin violate di oath of secrecy, or di pesin disrespect di office.
If dem find prima facie case against dí prosecutor, di chief Justice go set up committee within 14 days to chook eye for di petitions.
Dis committee get 90 days to do dia work and present di report to di president through di chief Justice.
Di president get no choice but di act in accordance wit di recommendations of di committee.
Di EC chairperson dey accused of mismanagement wey many pipo say she dey biased togeda wit her deputy Dr Bossman Asare; sometin dem deny
According to di office of special prosecutor, 33 pipo dey stand trial wey di office secure seven convictions
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