President Mahama refers 10 petitions against EC leadership and special prosecutor to the Chief Justice

President John Dramani Mahama has referred a total of 10 petitions, seven seeking the removal of Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa and her two deputies, and three requesting the removal of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, to the Chief Justice for the next constitutional steps.

The seven petitions against the EC leadership involve Jean Mensa, Dr. Bossman Eric Asare, and Samuel Tettey. The petitioners, including EC staff member Joseph Blankson Adumadzie, cite allegations of misconduct, cronyism, abuse of office, and incompetence, and have invoked Article 146 of the Constitution. They insist the President must trigger the removal process, which begins with a mandatory referral to the Chief Justice.

Three other petitions target the Special Prosecutor, with groups such as the Coalition for Integrity in Governance accusing Mr. Kissi Agyebeng of mismanagement and conduct said to undermine the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

Checks by Graphic Online’s Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson indicate that the various petitions have been forwarded to the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.

Per Article 146, once such petitions are received, the President is required to transmit them to the Chief Justice, who must first determine whether there is a prima facie case. If established, the Chief Justice empanels a five-member committee, comprising judges and two non-lawyer members, to investigate and submit recommendations.

A similar procedure applies under Section 15 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act (Act 959), which gives the Chief Justice 30 days to make a prima facie determination and a further 90 days for a committee to complete investigations.

Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie is reported to be the judicial officer to whom the petitions have been directed. Legal experts note that the process is intentionally rigorous to safeguard the independence of institutions such as the EC and the Office of the Special Prosecutor, with all hearings held in camera and affected officers entitled to legal representation.

By Bawa Musah

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