Accra, March 17, GNA - The Defence Team of Dr Richard Anane, Road Transport Minister, who is being investigated by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over allegations of corruption, abuse of office and conflict of interest, on Friday indicated their desire to go for a judicial review of the Commission's ruling on Thursday on the team's preliminary objection.

Mr Jacob Acquah-Sampson, Lead Counsel for the six-member Defence Team, who made this disclosure after Friday's sitting, indicated that this might necessitate the stay of the Commission's proceedings, until the review application was determined.

The Commission on Thursday overruled a preliminary objection raised by the Defence challenging the investigative powers of CHRAJ to go into the merits of the matter.

The Commission ruled that as a fact-finding body, it had the constitutional mandate to investigate matters even without any formal complaints being lodged with it.

In his reply, Dr Philip Bondzi-Simpson, Counsel for CHRAJ, said when the review application was brought up, as indicated by Counsel on the other side, the Commission would respond appropriately. Following a petition to the Vetting Committee of Parliament by Mr Raymond Archer, Editor-in-Chief of the "Enquirer" newspaper, challenging the re-nomination of Dr Anane for Ministerial Appointment, CHRAJ carried out preliminary investigations into the matter.

In order not to bring the reputation of Dr Anane into disrepute, the Commission had decided to go to the bottom of the matter by way of a public hearing, to give the Minister the chance to clear his name.