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General News of Tuesday, 12 December 2017

Source: ghanacrusader.com

See Chief Justice for the impeachment documents – Presidency responds to EC boss

Presidency has directed the EC Boss to contact the CJ for document relating to her impeachment Presidency has directed the EC Boss to contact the CJ for document relating to her impeachment

The Director of Communication at the presidency, Mr. Eugene Arhin has directed the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission to contact the Chief Justice for any document relating to her impeachment.

According to Mr. Arhin, President Akufo-Addo has presented everything to the CJ as required by law.

Speaking to Accra based Joy FM, he noted that: “It is a straightforward issue…if she wants a copy she should get it from the Chief Justice [because] all the documents we have, we forwarded them,”

‘’President Akufo-Addo sent everything to the CJ in pursuant to Article 146(3) of the 1992 Constitution. “If she is looking for a copy…I think the best place is the CJ office.”

Mr. Arhin’s comments come in the wake a formal request written by the EC boss madam Charlotte Osei to the president demanding an official copy of a petition seeking her removal.

She has also written to the Judicial Council acknowledging the invitation to appear before the Committee to preside over her possible impeachment proceedings. She was quick to demand, however, a copy of the petition, as well as the composition of the of the committee, constituted.

In both letters, Charlotte Osei said she needs the document in order to seek the requisite legal advice on the matter.

“I would respectfully like to make you aware of the following:

(a) I have to this day, not been furnished with a copy of the alleged petition.

(b) I was provided with a statement of the allegations made against me in a letter from Her Ladyship, the Chief Justice in which she also asked me to respond to the allegations.” She indicated.

The chairman of the Electoral Commission madam Charlotte Osei has been fighting her impeachment after some unnamed staff of the Electoral Commission through their lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang petitioned the president to impeach the EC boss on grounds of corruption.

Later, another petition was again filed against Charlotte Osei by Lawyer Douglas Seidu on grounds of breach of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 633) as amended, gross financial mismanagement as well as conflict of interest.

Lawyer Seidu alleged that Charlotte Osei put herself in a conflict of interest situation when she awarded a contract to Aerovote Security Printing (Ghana) Limited to print the pink sheets used for the 2016 general elections.

Lawyer Seidu argued that Charlotte Osei has strong business links with the Director of Aerovote and that the EC Chairperson had long arranged the deal even before the procurement process opened.