EC boss fights back

Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) Madam Charlotte Osei has announced she would resort to all legal means available to fight so called concerned staff of the EC persons who have petitioned the President to impeach her.

She said the petitioners made unsubstantiated claims intended to damage her reputation.

In a letter written by her lawyers, to the lawyer of the petitioners, she demanded the list of the names of workers who had made the claims for her removal.

She said this was “to enable us to commence legal action against them for the defamatory statements contained in their petition failing which our client will be constrained to proceed against you alone as defendant in the suit our client intends to commence against them since you are to all intents and purposes, their agent.”

Some aggrieved employees of the Electoral Commission (EC) have petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo to dismiss the Chairperson of the Commission, Charlotte Osei.

They insisted in a statement that Mrs. Osei should be impeached for among others, bringing the “Commission’s name into disrepute by single highhandedly petitioning EOCO on an alleged misappropriation of staff endowment fund for malicious reasons.”

They further revealed that following her appointment as EC Chair, Mrs. Osei “compromised the independence and neutrality of the Commission by arranging for 2015 V8 Land Cruiser with registration WR 2291-15 from the office of the President for use as official vehicle without going through the procurement process or recourse to the Commission.”

But a letter from Charlotte Osei’s lawyer, Thadeus Sory said they intend to proceed to court to seek protection for her reputation.

Read her lawyer’s letter below:

19TH JULY 2017. MAXWELL OPOKU-AGYEMANG, LLM (UTAH), LLM (QUEEN’S), LLB (HONS) BL (GH) SOLICITOR OF THE SUPREME COURT OF GHANA, P.O. BOX 179, ACCRA.

Dear Sir, RE: PETITION AGAINST THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION (MRS CHARLOTTE OSEI).

1.0 We write as solicitors for and on behalf of Mrs Charlotte Osei (hereafter simply called “Our client”) who is the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of the Republic of Ghana.

2.0 Our client’s attention has been drawn to a letter dated the 13th day of July, 2017 on the above intituled subject written by your goodself and by virtue of which letter you presented to his Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, a petition for the “impeachment” of our client pursuant to the provisions of article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.

3.0 Having perused the said letter to which was attached the allegations on the basis of which the petition invoked the provisions of article 146 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana for our client’s impeachment, we have noted several defamatory statements in respect of which we have our client’s irrevocable instructions to take immediate action against your clients who have not been disclosed on the face of your letter.

4.0 At all times material to our present letter to you, your letter has received widespread publication in the mass and social media by way of radio broadcasts and discussions including comments in blatant violation of the confidentiality requirements of article 146 of the 1992 Constitution pursuant to which you have petitioned the President of the Republic of Ghana.

5.0 Be that as it may, having observed from your letter by virtue of which the petition to the President has conveyed that your clients are an amorphous group of people described as “concerned staff of the Electoral Commission.” Our client has instructed us to demand from you and we hereby so demand the full list of these “concerned staff of the Electoral Commission” to enable us commence legal action against them for the defamatory statements contained in their petition failing which our client will be constrained to proceed against you alone as defendant in the suit our client intends to commence against them since you are to all intents and purposes, their agent.

6.0 Our client’s decision to seek remedy in court for the protection of her reputation without prejudice to the article 146 proceedings triggered by you.

7.0 Counting on your co-operation. Yours sincerely,

SORY @ LAW