A pressure group calling itself Generational Youth Movement (GYM) is accusing the NDC government of interfering with investigations into allegations of corruption and a possible breach of the constitution involving the renovation of the house of mother of Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings that is before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
GYM had pleaded with CHRAJ to investigate who did the renovations on the said house since three deputy ministers had told newsmen in separate interviews that it was government that undertook the said project. The group also sought to find out through CHRAJ which government institution made the payment and how much the cost was, since Mr. Herbert Mensah, a friend of the Rawlingses also claimed he made some payments on the same renovation project.
�Thirdly, we also petitioned CHRAJ, to explain to us and Ghanaians if it was constitutional for government to use state resources to renovate a private residence.�
But in a statement signed by Spokesperson for the group, Nana Kwabena Agyeman, GYM said they are baffled by four reported �resignations� that have hit CHRAJ in a relatively short time including that of Mr. Kwaku Oteng, investigator of the said case and one Mr. Arhin who was also working on the same matter.
The GYM believes that Government is deliberately frustrating the work of CHRAJ in order to deter them from making public the facts of this issue since the matter seems to implicate government and the ministers involved in a very awful manner, and has therefore decided to take the matter to the SUPREME COURT for Justice to be done.
Read below the full statement by the Generational Youth Movement (GYM).
RE: GOVERNMENT SABOTAGING AND SERIOUSLY INTERFERING WITH INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE RENOVATION OF THE HOUSE OF THE MOTHER OF NANA KONADU BY THE STATE.
Information available to the above group, points to the fact that government is seriously interfering with the above case that is before CHRAJ. It can be recalled that the above group, made a petition to CHRAJ to investigate allegations of corruption and a possible breach of the constitution involving the renovation of the said house.
In our letter of petition, we pleaded with CHRAJ to investigate who did the renovations on the said house since we have it on tape that three deputy ministers who have sworn under oath to serve the people of Ghana, testified that it was government that undertook the said project. Secondly, we also wanted to know which government institution made the payment and how much the cost was, since Mr. Herbert Mensah, a friend of the Rawlingses also claimed he made some payments on the same renovation project. Thirdly, we also petitioned CHRAJ, to explain to us and Ghanaians if it was constitutional for government to use state resources to renovate a private residence.
During the investigations led by the Commissioner, the two deputy ministers namely Hon James Agyenim Boateng and Hon Omani Boamah both accepted the fact that government played a role in the said renovation even though the Presidency had denied knowledge of the renovation.
In October 2010, CHRAJ informed us that they had given a query to the national security and were awaiting response. All what the national security did was to ask for the information of the petitioners and never returned any query to CHRAJ.
Information available to GYM is that after almost three months of waiting without any response, the Commissioner of CHRAJ, decided to go ahead on a ruling on this matter which was perceived to have gone against government.
COMMISSIONER�S RESIGNATION
According to our investigations, many pressures especially frustrating tactics from various angels of government have been employed in order not to allow the commissioner to make public his ruling. The commissioner out of frustration and anger handed over his resignation letter.
The case was then forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner Miss Anna Bossman, who took over as the acting commissioner. She has also resigned in a bizarre circumstance just about time CHRAJ has decided to make public the ruling on the same issue. What is even more strange is that, Mr. Kwaku Oteng, the investigator of the said matter has also resigned and one Mr. Arhin who was also working on this same issue has resigned in a bizarre manner.
However, all attempts to meet the Director of Legal Affairs at CHRAJ have so far proved futile. GYM has therefore concluded that Government is deliberately frustrating the work of CHRAJ in order to deter them from making public the facts of this issue since the matter seems to implicate government and the ministers involved in a very awful manner.
We have therefore decided to take the matter to the SUPREME COURT for Justice to be done on this issue. Although members of GYM have been threatened by faceless individuals and have also been invited by the CID officials, all in the quest to ensure that the group is frustrated enough to back down on its action, we�ll like to make it clear that until justice is done to uphold our young constitution and prevent corruption in our country, we will not stop pursuing this case.
NANA KWABENA AGYEMANG
SPOKES PERSON.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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