Jean Mensa – EC Chairperson
It has emerged that the man who petitioned President John Mahama for the removal of the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa, is an interdicted staff of the EC who is involved in an alleged theft case relating to stolen EC equipment.
The petitioner was one of three employees of the EC, and a student who were remanded into police custody by a Circuit Court in Dansoman last year over allegations of theft of electronic equipment belonging to the Commission.
The four were accused of allegedly ‘stealing’ five Dell laptop computers from the Biometric Voter Registration Kits (BVR) of the EC.
Following a complaint made by the EC about the loss of five laptops from their stores on Saturday March 9, 2024, the National Signals Bureau wrote to the Greater Accra Regional Commander on April 4, 2024 titled, “Re: Theft Of Five Laptops At The Electoral Commission.”
According to the correspondence from the Signals Bureau “a team of officers from the National Security was dispatched to the Commission to ascertain the facts of the matter.”
During the facts ascertaining mission, five persons were picked for interrogation. Philip Tettey, 26 years old and a casual worker at the EC admitted during interrogation that in the year 2023, he took three laptop computers from the office and sent them home.
The said Mr. Tettey led the team to a friend by name Clifford Yeboah who was also a casual worker at the Commission, leading to the retrieval of the said three laptops.
Another person of interest was a certain Benjamin Fienyi, aged 34, a permanent security staff of the Commission who claimed that one Joseph Blankson Adumadzie (the petitioner) and one of the suspects in the alleged theft of the equipment gave him one printer, a possession of the Commission, for use.
Benjamin Fienyi led the team to his house where the said printer was retrieved and returned to the custody of the EC.
During interrogation and information gathered manually from Benjamin Fienyi’s phone, it came to light that he had foreknowledge of the laptops taken by Philip Tettey. He further revealed that a stationery stealing syndicate existed at the Commission whose quarry was the EC’s warehouse.
Joseph Blankson Adumadzie, 37, and a permanent staff of the Commission’s IT department was mentioned by Benjamin Fienyi as the one who gave him the printer from the EC. He, however, denied giving Benjamin Fienyi a printer during interrogation.
The four suspects were subsequently processed for court on a case docket titled, “The Republic Vrs 1. Philip Tettey 2. Benjamin Fienyi 3. Joseph Blankson Adumadzie and 4. Clifford Yeboah”.
According to Detective Chief Inspector Wisdom Tsede of the Accra Regional CID, “on 4/4/24, D/C/Inspr. Frederick Sarpong in charge, Darlington Kupualor and Yaqub Aidoo arrested and brought to the Regional CID 1st, 2nd and 3rd accused persons with one HP printer and handed them over for investigation for stealing the mentioned gadgets, the property of the Electoral Commission.
Although the petitioner denied involvement in the commission of the crime, one of the accused, Benjamin Fienyi said he was the one who gave him the printer.
They were charged with one count of conspiracy to steal, and two counts of stealing, while Clifford Yeboah was charged with one count of dishonestly receiving. They all pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
Tongues are wagging over how the petitioner could easily access the Presidency with such a petition when he is on interdiction over theft allegation.
The petitioner is seeking the removal from office, the EC Chairperson and her two deputies, Dr. Bossman Eric Asare and Samuel Tettey over alleged misconduct.
He said in a statement that his petition was in pursuant to Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, the same provision which was used to remove Justice Gertrude Torkornoo as Chief Justice.
The EC under the current leadership has conducted two major elections with a record all-time low cost to the taxpayer.
A Daily Guide Report