Editor in chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has disclosed that there was a conspiracy to remove Former Electoral Commission Boss, Charlotte Osei, from her post.
According to the veteran journalist, the deputies of Mrs. Osei one Pauline Adobea Dadzawa and three others, including the two sacked Deputy Commissioners, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Amankwah, conspired to kick out Charlotte Osei.
Speaking on MultiTV’s Newsfile on Saturday, Mr Baako records of proceedings during the Committee hearing reveals that a man who had petitioned the President on the basis of personal knowledge of allegations against the former EC Chair had no such knowledge.
He further indicated that he does not believe that a breach of the Procurement Act, as concluded by the committee, warrants the removal of Mrs Osei from office adding that there ousting of the EC boss was “Harsh”.
“This whole thing was a conspiracy among the members of the Commission,”
“As far as I am concerned, I don’t think, seriously speaking there was a violation of the public procurement law. I think there has been a strict interpretation of the public procurement law, a very harsh [one],” he said.
The former EC Chair among other things was found guilty of breaching procurement processes in the award of a contract to Dream Oval and engaging the legal service of law firm Thaddeus at Law.
The EC chair, Charlotte Osei along with her two deputies, Georgina Opoku Amankwaah and Sulley Amadu were fired by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Minister of Information, Dr. Mustapha Hamid, in a statement issued Thursday, June 28, 2018, announced the removal from office of Charlotte Osei and her two deputies- Georgina Opoku Amankwaah and Sulley Amadu- for misbehaviour and incompetence.
The removal is on the recommendation of a committee set up by the Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo to investigate alleged acts of corruption, misconduct and misbehaviour by the three commissioners, the statement indicated.
Mrs. Charlotte Osei who is a lawyer by profession was appointed as the First female Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana by Former President John Dramani Mahama in 2015.
