CHRAJ drags Archbishop Palmer-Buckle, Bishop Justice Ofei Akrofi, others to OSP for possible corruption, prosecution

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has referred members of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, including Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle and Bishop Justice Ofei Akrofi, to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for investigations and possible prosecution over procurement breaches tied to the controversial project.

This action follows CHRAJ’s ruling on a complaint filed by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, who accused the Board and other parties of corruption and abuse of power.

While CHRAJ did not establish any direct evidence of corruption, it noted that the extent of the procurement violations created a “reasonable suspicion” of corrupt practices.

“Although the Commission has not found any element of corruption in this case, the extent of the breaches raises reasonable suspicion of corruption,” the report highlighted.

CHRAJ also stressed that these breaches undermine transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.

The commission cited Section 3(a) of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), which mandates the OSP to investigate and prosecute cases of suspected corruption under the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).

It called for the OSP or Attorney-General to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.

The referral targets members of the Board of Trustees who presided over the project in 2021 when Ribade Company Limited was awarded the construction contract.

Others include Rt. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey, and Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, Executive Director of the National Cathedral Secretariat.

The ruling emphasized the gravity of the issue, with CHRAJ stating, “This call for investigations and subsequent prosecution if necessary is directed at members of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral who were members as of 2021 and responsible for key decisions regarding the project.”