Charlotte Osei
Those who have heard the story of the Electoral Commission (EC) under Charlotte Osei do not like it. The petitioners have shed important light on the subject.
It is not only about epic poor interpersonal relationship with her subordinates at the powerhouse of elections in the country but more about actionable infractions committed by a person who ironically is a lawyer.
All Ghanaians but staunch NDC supporters and their leaders would rather Charlotte Osei is prosecuted for her alleged breaches while she served as Chairperson of the EC.
We are constrained to deduce from her impunity a heightened level of confidence that the political establishment would give her the necessary backing in an unwritten reciprocal pact. Besides she foresaw the then ruling NDC not leaving power anytime soon.
The pact as aforementioned would, among things, consider Akua Donkor as a leader of a non-existent political party and a few other political nuisances. These would be deployed when necessary to create a semblance of representing political parties when they are not. The picture we saw when Akua Donkor and others came supporting the bloated Voters’ Register is reflective of such an arrangement.
We are interested in the breaches as committed by the former EC Chairperson in the award of contracts and the general dissipation of public funds to upgrade the look of her office.
Such abuse of the independence of the EC should be looked into because of its misapplication by some heads of the commission. The immediate past Chairperson of the EC cannot pass a financial propriety test if she is put to one considering the narrations of the petitioners.
Unless Charlotte Osei and her former deputy commissioners at the EC are above the law which we know they are not, the law, where applicable, must be applied as being demanded by the petitioners and their compatriots. Her short but eventful stewardship must be thoroughly audited against the backdrop of the allegations being leveled against her. Indeed since a prima facie case has been established against her previously, we do not think that there should be any doubt about a prosecution.
The multifaceted breaches of procurement standards as clearly set out in the statute books and which she is being accused of, must be scrutinized so that the appropriate sanctions are applied where appropriate. What better way to do this than through a prosecution!
Any attempt at relegating this subject to the dustbin of ignored cases so it does not appear in court would deal a terrible blow to the ongoing crusade against graft and bad practices in public institutions.
The signal which a non-prosecution of Charlotte and her two former deputy commissioners all of who washed their dirty linen at the marketplace is that, at a certain level in public office, crimes and infractions are not prosecutable. Perhaps that is why the war against corruption and other bad practices at such places are proving resilient.
With the Special Prosecutor now in place and the matter under review already laid before him, an opportunity has reared its head for Martin to prove his mettle. Ghana is waiting.