Whether It�s Indiscretion Or Misrepresentation, CHRAJ Will Probe Muntaka � Emile Short

The Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Emile Francis Short, has disclosed that his outfit will still conduct investigations into the Muntaka saga, in spite of President Mills� open declaration that the former Sports Minister�s conduct does not constitute corruption. �I don�t think that we will consider the matter as closed, just because there has been an investigation by a state body or because the president has made a declaration that it doesn�t constitute corruption, and that it was just indiscretion and misrepresentation. The matter is still open, as far as CHRAJ is concerned,� he said in an interview with two Accra-based radio stations, PEACEFM and JoyFm. According to Mr. Emile Short, CHRAJ will make an initial determination as to whether the former Sports Minister�s conduct constitutes any of the matters within their core functions, namely: abuse of office, conflict of interest and corruption. �It will all depend on the facts; we�ll have to look at the facts and then make that initial determination of admissibility� If it�s a matter of conflict of interest, then under the Supreme Court decision on Anane, we cannot investigate it (without a formal complaint or a petitioner). Also if it�s a matter that constitutes abuse of office, we cannot investigate it on our own initiative,� Mr. Short said. He however, quickly added that if only it is found to be on corruption, then CHRAJ will get involved in it. �We are mandated under the constitution to investigate allegations of corruption on our own initiative�, he emphasized. A civil society organization, the Progressive Nationalist Forum, has asked CHRAJ to take the former minister through another round of investigations after it petition. The pressure group describes the acquisition of a German Visa for Edith Zineudi, his girlfriend, based on false information as fraudulent. The PNF, unsatisfied with the Mills-ordered National Security apparatus investigation and subsequent exoneration of the Asawase MP, wants CHRAJ to undertake what it describes as a full probe into the tenure of Muntaka as sports Minister. It would be recalled that in an interaction with the media on Thursday, January 7th, President Mills said Muntaka�s action borders more on indiscretion and misrepresentation than corruption. But the CHRAJ Commissioner thinks otherwise. �Misrepresentation can constitute a fraud, it can constitute corruption, it can constitute anything, it depends on the facts�, he added.