FORUM FOR Public Accountability (FOPA), a youth pressure group, has called for the immediate resignation of Loretta Lamptey, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

According to the group, which described Ms Lamptey as “a paragon of official cover-up who conceals gargantuan economic crimes against the people of Ghana”, it would be prudent on her part to stay away from Hannah Bissiw’s probe so as to avoid prejudice.

“She has been holding secret meetings with Dr. Bissiw and therefore we feel that she has been influenced, for which reason we believe she cannot fairly handle the matter,” FOPA stated.

Addressing journalists yesterday, D.M. Ofori-Atta, National Convener of the group, stated that although it had provided enough evidence to confirm that Dr. Bissiw had incurred expenditure above the reasonable limit required of a public officer, CHRAJ had declined to respond to its petition.

“For months, CHRAJ has never given any communication with respect to our petition. FOPA, in a letter dated 25th November, 2011, and also a protest statement in December 2011, demanded a response from CHRAJ,” he stated.

He continued that after FOPA issued an earlier protest statement on September 15, 2011, CHRAJ officials, “in the most ridiculous disregard of the expectation and standards of their office”, requested the group to provide evidence of the expenditure made by Dr. Bissiw, but CHRAJ insisted that it would not proceed anymore with the matter.

According to him, after providing all the necessary evidence, the CHRAJ Commissioner failed to open a hearing on the case.

It was at this point that members of FOPA threatened to stage a massive protest if Loretta Lamptey refused to commence an immediate hearing on Dr. Hannah Bisiw’s saga on April 5, 2012. Mr Atta further told this paper that FOPA’s protest march would be code-named ‘who watches the watchman?’

He continued that following the group’s agitation for Hannah Bissiw’s removal from office last year, another group, ‘Concerned Citizens of Tano South Constituency’, petitioned President Mills and called for Bissiw’s removal.

Secretary of the Concerned Citizens of Tano South Constituency, Frimpong Kwame Emmanuel, who doubles as the campaign manager of Dr. Bissiw, petitioned President Mills to institute an inquiry into the conduct of Dr. Bissiw since, according to Mr. Frimpong, Dr Bissiw’s claims that she had used her own resources to undertake some 20 projects were doubtful.

Some of the projects included the construction of a complex party office for NDC at Tano South, the distribution of 100 mats to mosques in the district and the donation of roofing sheets to some communities, among others.