President Akufo-Addo has dismissed a petition by the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) to get Jean Mensa removed from her post as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).
A statement signed by the Secretary to President Nana Asante Bediatuo indicated that the Chief Justice did not establish any prima facae against the head of the country’s elections management body.
In June, ASEPA secured a declaration from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) that Mrs Mensa failed to declare her assets on assumption of office in 2018.
CHRAJ said it found during its investigations that although the EC boss did not declare her assets then, she took remedial steps to do so when it was brought to her attention in the petition to investigate same.
Jean Mensa filed her assets declaration forms with the Auditor-General on February 17, 2020, CHRAJ noted.
The anti-graft body cautioned the EC boss to take note and not repeat same.
But in a petition to the president, ASEPA asked for Jean Mensa’s removal.
In response to this, the Presidency indicated that the EC chair has not committed any criminal offence.
“The Chief Justice did not find any statute that criminalises the non-declaration of assets within the stipulated time in the Constitution,” read the statement released July 27, 2020.
The Presidency further communicated its rejection of the petition adding that “In any event, CHRAJ did not make any adverse findings against the Chairperson as the investigation was terminated and the complaint dismissed after the Chairperson declared her assets on 17th February 2020.”
