Gov't Appointees Vow To Contest Supreme Court Ruling

The ruling by the country's Supreme Court on Tuesday that former Minister of Tourism and Chief of Staff, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey had the right under the constitution to... ...purchase the bungalow in which he occupied because he bought it in his capacity as a citizen and not as a minister has not gone down well with the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs, who are government appointees, have therefore resolved to contest the decision by opting for a judicial review. The Supreme Court, by a majority decision, dismissed the conflict of interest case in which two deputy ministers of state challenged the right of Obetsebi-Lamptey to acquire a state bungalow he lived in at the No 2 Mungo Street in the Ridge residential area when he was a minister. The court, the Court presided over by Justice William Atuguba, by a 6-3 majority decision, ruled that Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the two Deputy Ministers of Information and Sports respectively, failed to prove the conflict of interest allegation it leveled against the NPP National Chairman. But Hon. Omane Boamah, one of the plaintiffs, in an interview on the Citi Eye Witness News, sharply disagrees with the ruling and has indicated his resolve to seek a review. According to him, he together with his collegaue, will be lining up a series of actions albeit lawfully, to ensure that the verdict is reversed. �We strongly disagree and so in due course; very early next week, we are going to line up a series of actions and activities, legitimate of course, that we are going to embark on, to ensure a reversal of this decision�� he said. The Supreme Court judges who sat on the case included Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, Mr Justice S. A. Brobbey, Mrs Justice Sophia Adinyira, Mrs Justice Rose Owusu, Mr Justice Jones Dotse, Mr Justice Baffoe Bonnie, Mr Justice B. T. Aryeetey and Mrs Justice Vida Akoto Bamfo.