CHRAJ's ruling on Muntaka under attack

Acting Commissioner of CHRAJ Ms. Anna Bossman

A pressure group, Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF), has hit hard at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), describing its ruling on cases brought against former Sports Minister Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed as amateurish, mediocre and shoddy.

In throwing tantrums at the Commission, PNF raised doubts about CHRAJ's mandate of combating corruption in the country.

“The PNF wishes to unequivocally condemn the ruling of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). The ruling was amateurish, mediocre and shoddy in both procedure and legality and we take exception to the attitude of CHRAJ towards the fight against corruption and abuse of political power in Ghana,” the group said in a press statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Spokesperson Richard Nyamah.

PNF levelled 16 allegations against Alhaji Muntaka, who is also the Member of Parliament for Asawase in the Ashante Region. But for one, PNF failed to provide witnesses to buttress the cases, compelling the Commission to set aside those allegations.

However, the Commission cleared Alhaji Muntaka of fraud and abuse of office. PNF had asked CHRAJ to investigate the MP's alleged fraudulent acquisition of a German visa for one Edith Zinayala under the pretext that she was an employee of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, when Ms Edith is an employee of the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana.

“As we speak the other 15 allegations of corruption and abuse of office including buying of tickets for himself and his family, allocation of 5 vehicles to himself, buying of mouth wash and other detergents at the expense of the tax payer, travelling with his girlfriend to Cote d'Ivoire, using the services of a mallam, buying meat and other gifts for his constituents etc are still pending and will be taken up as and when the witnesses are available.”

According to the group, it is convinced CHRAJ failed to carry out any independent investigations to ascertain the facts of the cases presented to it. It argued that that allegation was premised on the findings of the National Security Report after the whistle was blown him.

“Our question is why did CHRAJ refuse to conduct a full scale investigation into the matter? Why was the Ministry of Youth and Sports not contacted? Why was the German embassy not contacted? Why did CHRAJ refuse to contact the National Security Committee to verify what Muntaka said took place when he appeared before it? Why was Puma Sports not contacted to verify their side of the story? Was it not necessary for CHRAJ to contact parliament to at least find out if Ms Edith had permission to travel in the name of another state agency? Why did CHRAJ represent Muntaka's version as the gospel truth and went ahead to quote him and not the National Security or PNF as to what the true state of affairs is? Why did CHRAJ not investigate to know which hotel Muntaka and Edith slept in and at whose cost while in Germany?”

In a related development, the pressure group is also asking the acting Commissioner of CHRAJ Ms. Anna Bossman to resign as a member of government's task force on gas development. The group claims Ms. Anna Bossman compromises her position and role in the fight against corruption by accepting the appointment.

Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana