President Akufo-Addo refers petitions against EC Deputy Chairpersons to Chief Justice
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has referred two petitions against the Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission, Ms Georgina Opoku Amankwa and Mr Amadu Sulley, respectively, to the Chief Justice for resolution.
A statement signed by Mr Eugene Arhin, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, said the petitions dated July 25, 2017, which invoked Article 146(3) of the Constitution, was received from Emmanuel Korsi Senyo, who described himself as a “Concerned Citizen of Ghana.”
The President on Wednesday July 26, 2017 referred a similar petition against the Chairperson of the EC Charlotte Osei to the Chief Justice, in which some “concerned staff” of the Commission through their legal representative called for investigations into alleged abuse of office and financial impropriety.
They also alleged that the Chairperson was at loggerheads with her two deputies, allegations she has since denied, and in the process also alleged malfeasance on the part of her “accusers”.
The statement said pursuant to the invocation of Article 146(3) by both Petitions on the Commission’s Deputy Chairpersons, the President thus referred them to Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo in accordance with the dictates of that Article.
Article 146(3) states: “If the President receives a petition for the removal of a 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.
Source: GNA