PPP to petition CHRAJ over Mahama Ford gift

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has indicated it will petition the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over the Ford Expedition gift given to President Mahama by a Burkinabe contractor.

Policy Advisor of PPP, Kofi Asamoah-Saiw, said the party will lodge an official complaint with CHRAJ because the President’s act flies in the face of portions of the 1992 Constitution which calls public officials to desist from taking gifts which could influence their decisions.

“We in the Progressive People’s Party will lodge a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in accordance with Article 287,” he said.

Article 287 (1) reads:
"An allegation that a public officer has contravened or has not complied with a provision of this Chapter shall be made to the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and, in the case of the Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative Justice, to the Chief Justice who shall, unless the person concerned makes a written admission of the contravention or non-compliance, cause the matter to be investigated."

The Ford Expedition scandal hanging on President Mahama has generated much tension in Ghana especially between government officials and anti-graft campaigners who have slammed the President for what they say is his blatant disregard for anti-corruption guidelines in the country.

The government has been explaining that the vehicle donated by Oumarou Djibril Kanazoe and valued at $100,000 has been added to the pool of vehicles at the Presidency.

It also said the car did not influence the number of contracts Messrs Oumarou Kanazoe Contractors of Burkina Faso received from the government including the controversial $650, 000 Ghana Embassy wall in Burkina Faso which was flagged by the Auditor-General.

Speaking on the Joy FM and MultiTV’s news analysis programme, Newsfile, Communications Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah said the President cannot be corrupted and is incorruptible.

Reacting to the minister’s comment, Mr Asamoah-Siaw said: “The President has engaged in misconduct and a Minister of State cannot throw dust in our eyes to say our President is incorruptible. Perhaps he doesn’t understand the word.”

He averred “The President has breached portions of the Constitution and he has misconducted himself,” adding his attitude constitutes “grounds for impeachment.”

Without mincing words the PPP policy analyst said “What we want to put on record is that the presentation of the car to the presidential pool was the decisions of the president to give something that is his bonafide property to the state and that cannot justify or obliterate the act of bribery that the President had engaged himself in.”

He explained the vehicle scandal “cannot go away with propaganda.”

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | Email: [email protected]