President Akufo-Addo refers EC Petition to Chief Justice

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday referred a petition against Mrs Charlotte Osei, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), to the Chief Justice.

A statement signed by Mr Eugene Arhin, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, said President Akufo-Addo received the petition whilst out of the country.

It said pursuant to Article 146(3) of the Constitution, which was invoked by the Petition, the President referred same to Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo for resolution in accordance with the dictates of that Article.

Article 146(3) states: “If the President receives a petition for the removal of Justice of a Superior Court other than the Chief Justice or for the removal of the Chairman of a Regional Tribunal, he shall refer the petition to the Chief Justice, who shall determine whether there is a prima facie case.”

Subsequent clauses of Article 146 also enable the Chief Justice, where he or she decides that there is a prima facie case, to set up a committee consisting of three Justices of the Superior Courts or Chairmen of the Regional Tribunals or both, appointed by the Judicial Council.

In addition to these are two other persons who are not members of the Council of State, nor members of Parliament, nor lawyers, and who shall be appointed by the Chief Justice on the advice of the Council of State, to investigate the complaint and make its recommendations to the Chief Justice who shall forward it to the President.

The President initially received the Petition undated and unsigned, but subsequently, counsel, Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, Esq., by a letter dated 20th July, 2017, wrote to the Office of the President setting out the names of the petitioners and the date of the Petition.

Source: GNA