Investigate Kwamena Bartels - CPP

Accra, May 27, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Tuesday hailed the removal of Mr. Kwamena Bartels, former Minister of the Interior, and called for investigations into his conduct as a Minister.

"With his dismissal from office, we urge President John Agyekum Kufuor to do the next logical thing and institute an investigation into allegations that Mr Bartels improperly influenced the disbursements of state-guaranteed loans to his family members," the CPP stated in a statement to the media on the latest cabinet reshuffle.

The statement signed by Mr. Kosi Dedey, CPP Publicity Chairman, described the removal of Mr. Bartels as "encouraging" saying, "the former Minister's actions and words over the years were an embarrassment to the Government and his party, the NPP."

The CPP said Mr Bartels' handling of the Liberian refugee crisis undermined the nation's integrity "as a tolerant society and the beacon of Pan-African Unity".

"The removal of Mr. Joe Baidoo-Ansah from the Ministry of Trade and Industry to the Ministry of Aviation is, however, not good enough as his recent misconduct on Metro TV brought international shame to the Government and people of Ghana."

The CPP called for Mr Baidoo-Ansah's dismissal to serve as a deterrent to other public officials who may so misbehave in public. The statement also said the President's frequent reshuffling over the last seven years had not allowed for institutional capacity building and the pursuance of government policies to their fullest. 27 May 08