Mr. Francis Emile Short, the Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has said that the Minority Leader in Parliament, Hon Alban Bagbin Sumanu Kingsford Bagbin, should be blamed for the dismissal of his case by CHRAJ on Monday.

He was reacting to the circumstances that led to a discontinuation of CHRAJ’s investigations into a case filed by the Minority Leader against President John Agyekum Kufour for accepting monetary offer from one Mr. Marfo, a farmer for the renovation of his private residence in Accra. When asked if he would accept another application from the Minority Leader, Mr. Emile Short declined to give a positive answer to the question. He remarked, however, that it is possible that if another person brings up the case, the commission would consider it.

In an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Emile Short said he believes that the submissions made by Hon. Bagbin regarding the absence of his counsel were not made in good faith. It was calculated to delay the continuation of the case,” stressing that “the absence of Bagbin’s counsel for the cross-examination would not have prejudiced the case”. He explained that people had blamed the commission for undue delays in petitions brought before the constitutional body. So, the commission was anxious to dispose off the Bagbin case an expeditiously as possible, but it seemed he was not pre-disposed to having the case expeditiously dealt with, claimed the Human Rights Commissioner.

Mr. Emile Short maintained that if there was any blame, then it had to be placed on the shoulders of Hon. Bagbin. Reacting to questions whether the argument of Bagbin was not sound enough, he replied that CHRAJ was of the view that if Mr. Bagbin had difficulty, and needed the adjournment, then he should have made it known and the Commission would have considered it.