Disclose my accusers or I sue – EC boss tells lawyer

The Electoral Commission Chairperson (EC) Charlotte Osei has dared the lawyer representing some staff of the commission who are demanding her removal from office by the President.

In a statement Wednesday, lawyers for Mrs. Osei challenged the law firm of Maxwell Opoku Agyeman, to furnish them with full details of the petitioners or face her in court.

A statement signed on the letterhead of Lawyer Opoku Agyeman’s law firm noted that a petition has been presented to the president to begin an impeachment process against Mrs Osei.

Among a litany of accusations outlined in the petition addressed to President Akufo Addo, the staff said the EC chairperson “single-handedly renegotiated the contract with the vendor without the involvement of the members of the Commission, not even the deputies. She then awarded the contract to the tune of $21,999,592 without going through tender contrary to the Public Procurement Act. The Chairperson then re-awarded these contracts without approval from the Commission”.

In response, however, Mrs. Osei said “Having observed from your letter by virtue of which the petition to the President conveyed; that your client is 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 statement contained in their petition failure 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.

“Our client’s decision to seek remedy in court for the protection of her reputation is without prejudice to article 106 proceeding triggered by you”.