President Mahama And Chairman Of Council Of State Abdicate Their Responsibilities In Chraj Boss Saga

I wish to bring to the attention of the Ghanaian public that on 30th September, 2014 I submitted two petitions to the Presidency in relation to the dismissal of the CHRAJ boss Ms. Lauretta Vivian Lamptey.

The first petition was to invoke the constitutional process for the removal of the commissioner on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and which process has since started.

In my second petition which I personally served the Presidency and the chairman of council of state, I prayed the President on the advice of the council of state to invoke article 146 10(b) of the constitution. Please see attached a copy of the said petition. I am yet to receive an acknowledgement from either the President or the chairman of the council of state.

Anticipating that Ms. Laureta may tamper with evidence or dissuade witnesses and also foreseeing the possibility of continuing her illegality, I prayed the President to suspend her whilst investigations continue.

I feel highly disappointed in the President for failing to take this opportunity to decidedly deal with corruption and opulence and also the chairman of the council of state for failing to appropriately counsel the President to do what is right. This abdication of responsibility by President is only further cementing the perception that he lacks the moral courage to fight corruption. If the President had acted as I indicated, Ghana would have saved Ghc 161,000 in hotel bills as reported by the Daily Graphic of 25th, November, 2014.

The government I am reliably informed by my sources within the controller and accountant generals department has failed to pay Ms. Lamptey her salary since she took office in 2011. I am also reliably informed that Ms. Lauretra was only recently paid three months of her salary on appeal after I filed my petition. There is a backlog of arrears in excess of three years. This is condemnable as much as Ms. Lauretta’s opulence is.

It is clear from the actions and inactions of the government that it has encouraged Ms. Lamptey to be corrupt by resorting to vacating her office since April, 2014 and spending most if not all her time on foreign conferences and programs at which she receives allowances and per diems up to $ 5,000 per documents available to me. I wish to encourage the President to take a bold decision and suspend Ms. Lamptey under article 146 10 (b) to save CHRAJ and Ghana from further embarrassment and ridicule.

Secondly I edge the Chief Justice to convene her three member committee immediately to hear the case against Ms. Lamptey as she has failed to respond within the mandatory 8 days she is required to give a response. I am ready to appear with my counsel before the committee with further evidence to help in the process of her removal.

Richard Nyamah