The dismissed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Adjenim Boateng Adjei, has sued the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over what he described as an unfair treatment meted out to him in the ‘Contract for Sale’ probe conducted by the institution.
In the suit filed at the Accra High Court on November 27, Mr Adjei accused CHRAJ of breaching the principle of natural justice by keeping certain key information from him and his lawyers.
He argued that he was kept in the dark over witnesses whose testimonies CHRAJ relied on to make the judgment.
Mr Adjei said that his lawyers were not given the chance to cross-examine the witnesses and also he was not made to answer certain findings made by the commission in its work.
He noted that CHRAJ made “several site trips to several locations to gather evidence which it relied on to arrive at their decision.”
However, Mr Adjei said he was “never invited to be present at any of these site trips, nor was I allowed to respond or cross-examine the evidence gathered at these site trips.
“By denying me the opportunity to access, respond and cross-examine statements, witnesses and evidence that the respondents relied on to arrive at their decision, the [CHRAJ] acted in breach of natural justice and failed to give me a fair hearing. If given the chance to access, respond and cross-examine the various documents, witnesses and evidence relied on by [CHRAJ] in their report, I would.”
Mr Adjei is, thus, urging the High Court to quash CHRAJ’s report and expunge it from the records.
He is also asking the court to revoke President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s directive that asked him to vacate his post, which was premised on a request by CHRAJ.
Background
President Akufo-Addo on August 22, 2019, suspended Mr Adjei from office, following the broadcast of allegations made against him in a publication by freelance journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, titled ‘Contracts for Sale.’
President Akufo-Addo subsequently referred the allegations involving conflict of interest to CHRAJ, and those relating to potential acts of corruption to the Office of Special Prosecutor, for their action.
It was based on recommendations from the CHRAJ report that Mr Adjei was sacked from office on October 31.
Per the CHRAJ report, Mr Adjei accounts since assuming office in 2017 stood at GH₵14.8 million from his four Dollar and Euro accounts held at two banks.
According to CHRAJ, Mr Adjei could not satisfactorily explain the source of the large volumes of excess wealth that passed through his bank accounts between March 2017 and August 2019.
CHRAJ after investigating Mr Adjei found him guilty of conflict of interest in the performance of his duties after sidestepping procurement procedures for personal gains.