CHRAJ likely to throw out Merbank petition - Short

Public sector anti-corruption agency, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), is “likely” to throw out any petition seeking to halt the sale of Merchant Bank to Fortiz Private Equity Fund, so far as the same matter remains pending before the Court.

That’s the guess of the Ombudsman’s former Commissioner Justice Francis Emile Short when he spoke to XYZ Breakfast Show host Moro Awudu Tuesday.

The Minority in Parliament intends petitioning CHRAJ over the sale, after the Speaker of Parliament threw out a motion filed by Deputy Minority Leader Dominic Nitiwul with the support of about 80 other MPs, which was intended to get the House to discuss the debate the transaction.

According to Mr Short, “without prejudice to whatever CHRAJ may decide, if the matter goes there, if the matter they are taking to CHRAJ is the same matter that is before the court, the likely result will be that CHRAJ will decline to hear the matter”.

Mr Short explained that: “CHRAJ will decline to investigate the matter because CHRAJ has no power to investigate any matter that is pending in court”.

“There are other reasons why it might not be advisable to go to CHRAJ but those reasons I would keep to myself, I don’t intend to discuss them publicly”, Mr Short added.

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has offloaded its 90 percent majority shares to Fortiz for Ghc90 million.

The transaction has been mired in a storm of political and legal controversy.