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General News of Wednesday, 26 July 2017

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

EC row: Akufo-Addo forwards EC impeachment petition to CJ

President Akufo-Addo (r) with Chief Justice Sophia Akufo (l) President Akufo-Addo (r) with Chief Justice Sophia Akufo (l)

President Akufo-Addo has referred the petition sent by some disgruntled staff of the Electoral Commission to the Chief Justice.

The petition was sent with respect to their desire to impeach the current EC chair, Charlotte Osei.

The staff accused her of abuse of office and unilaterally taking decisions on behalf of the commission resulting in bloated budgets.

This has severely damaged the relationship between the Chair of the commission on one hand and two of her deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwa on the other hand.

Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) is boiling with tension after some employees of commission petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo to sack Chairperson of the Commission, Madam Charlotte Osei for allegedly indulging in fraudulent activities.

The aggrieved officials also claimed that Mrs Osei breached the procurement process by single-handedly awarding a GHC3.9 million contract for the demarcation and partitioning of an office complex without engaging the Commission.

But Mrs. Osei has rubbished the claims and has also accused Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Operations at the EC, Amadu Sulley, of extorting some GHC6 million from political parties without informing the Commission’s Finance Department.

These rebuttals and accusations have attracted public concern with individuals and some groups calling for the dismissal of the parties involved.

Thus, the president Pursuant to the terms of Article 146(3), has referred the petition to the Chief Justice for resolution, in accordance with the provisions of Article 146(3).

According to a release signed by the Communications Director at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, the identity of the petitioners are known and have been attached to the petition that was presented to the president.