The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has formally reached out to the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, and other stakeholders involved in the proposed sale of SSNIT’s majority stake in four hotels.
This is according to the petitioner and North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is actively opposed to the deal.
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews during a protest on Tuesday, June 18, the NDC MP said the move signals the beginning of investigations into the matter.
“CHRAJ has written. They have told us that they are investigating the matter. They have also informed us that they have written to all the people who have been named in our petition, that is SSNIT, Honourable Bryan Acheampong and all the others.
“So the investigations are ongoing. They have told us also to hold ourselves in readiness which we are because we have intercepted other documents, including the memos which revealed that the Honourable Bryan Acheampong is offering way below the fair market value.”
Mr Ablakwa, therefore, called on CHRAJ to expedite work on the petition.
“We are standing in readiness to submit all the latest documents to CHRAJ, so we are only pleading with CHRAJ that they will expedite their action.
“Because I have another petition with CHRAJ [The National Cathedral petition] which has taken about sixteen months and we don’t want this one to follow the same trajectory,” he said.
This comes after the outspoken politician lodged a petition with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), seeking an investigation into the sale of hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to Bryan Acheampong on May 17.
In his petition, Mr Ablakwa asserts that there are ongoing plans to sell a controlling 60% stake in four hotels owned by SSNIT to Rock City Hotel Limited, a company owned by Dr Bryan Acheampong, who serves as the MP for Abetifi.
The hotels under scrutiny in the petition include Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel, Busua Beach Resort, and the Trust Lodge Hotel.
Mr Ablakwa’s petition to CHRAJ seeks an investigation into various allegations, including conflict of interest, abuse of power, lack of due process, procurement breaches, cronyism, and graft.
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