President John Dramani Mahama has referred seven petitions seeking the removal of the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensa, and her two deputies, Dr. Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey, to the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, for further review.
The referrals follow Article 70(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which outlines the appointment and removal procedures for heads of constitutional bodies.
Under Article 146, the Chief Justice determines whether a prima facie case exists and, if so, sets up a committee to investigate the allegations. The committee’s findings are forwarded to the President, who is required to act on the recommendations.
The EC Chairperson and her deputies hold the same terms and conditions of service as justices of the superior courts, and their removal is only possible for stated misbehaviour, incompetence, or incapacity to perform duties.
In addition to the seven petitions against the EC leadership, three separate petitions concerning the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, have also been submitted for review, following procedures outlined in the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
The Presidency emphasized that the referrals ensure that the petitions are handled transparently and in strict accordance with constitutional provisions.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
