The Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF) notes with chagrin, the resignation of Mrs. Lauretta Lamptey as a board member of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), in an attempt to appease Ghanaians for her double standard role in fighting corruption when she is engaged in it herself. It is a feeble attempt to right her wrong and it won’t wash.

The good people of Ghana will recall that on the 11th of January, 2010, the PNF petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice that, Dr Stephen Opuni, the Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Board, was engaged in suspected acts of corruption and conflict of interest situations. The former Commissioner, Justice Francis Emil Short, had the matter investigated and a dossier prepared. The case was about to be called when he resigned his post. Dr Sipa Yankey, the former Minister of Health was to be called as a witness. (Please see attachments). Due to the resignation of Mr. Short, when Ms Anna Bossman took over, further investigations were carried out but the case could not be called before she also resigned.

The PNF was called to explain that the commission required more time for the new Commissioner to acquaint herself with the facts of the case.

It has been three years since the case was first sent to the commission and about a year since Mrs Lamptey took office and not once has she referred to this case. Note that this is a case in which PNF had a queue of witnesses including the former Health Minister, Journalist, Professors and many more who were prepared to bear witness. Please note that Dr Sipa Yankey has since taken a government appointment.

The PNF states here unequivocally that the FDB has been operating for the past two years illegally because there is no Board Chairman to supervise the affairs of the FDB and that Mr TC Corquaye, who purports to be the acting chairman of the FDB is doing so illegally and when CHRAJ sits, we shall prove it. Mrs. Lamptey is unable to sit on such a high profile case because (a) she is busy attending to other government business such as Board Meetings of GCB and (b) because she is a member of the government, she is avoiding cases that will embarrass her government.

PNF is therefore calling on all civil society organizations, anti corruption NGO’s and indeed the government to ask Mrs. Lamptey to resign her post to ensure CHRAJ regains some modicum of respect and make it the entity we previously prided ourselves in. We also wish to appeal to the conscience of Mrs. Lamptey to peacefully resign her position.

Failure to do so, we shall seek legal advice from our consul on the appropriate line of action to take against her person and the commission.

SIGNED

Richard Nyamah (Spokesperson PNF)