A letter from the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) demanding that the Electoral Commission (EC) asks two of its officers to proceed on leave has been described as ‘unconstitutional’.
According to the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, “members of the EC have security of tenure and cannot be removed from office”.
EOCO, in a letter dated July 4, 2017, addressed to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, said it is investigating “the loss of about GH¢480,000 from the Endowment Fund at the Electoral Commission.”
The Commission’s Deputy Chairperson in-charge of Finance and Administration, Georgina Opoku Amankwah, Chief Accountant, Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi and Finance Officer, Joseph Kwaku Asamoah were said to have been identified by EOCO as the ‘suspects’.
The letter further stated that the officers in question should be made to proceed on leave, while investigations proceed.
Speaking to this issue on Saturday’s edition of Alhaji and Alhaji on Radio Gold, Kwesi Pratt said: “we should not condone wrongdoing…we should not impede state organisations in their jobs. Our constitution is clear that members of the Electoral Commission have security of tenure and cannot be removed from office. I do not see how EOCO under any circumstance can remove an officer from office. My fear is that if this is allowed to pass, tomorrow the Chief Justice may be asked to go on leave. It can set a very dangerous precedent. This does not also mean all is well at the EC…removing this lady from office is an affront to the constitution”
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