Barring any constraints, lawyers of Dr. Richard Anane, Minister of Transportation will today file a suit at an Accra High Court to contest aspects of a ruling given by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) which cited the minister for perjury and abuse of power and office.
These and other issues were to be the subject of a news conference supposed to be addressed by the Minister’s legal team but was called off yesterday.
Journalists who had thronged the Ghana International Press Centre for the event were told by Ken Anku, a consultant working with Dr. Anane’s legal team, that it could not come on. He explained: "Having examined the ruling without having a copy together with other serious setbacks, the legal counsel apologises sincerely that it will not be able to address the meeting".
In response to a question on how the team could be studying a ruling they did not have access to, Mr. Anku responded: "we took notes when it was being read and that is what we are relying on for now".
He declined to disclose the nature of the "serious setbacks" for which reason the news conference had to be called off and said that at the appropriate time the media and the general public will be given the necessary information.
Last Friday, CHRAJ recommended that Dr. Anane be relieved of his position as Minister of State "for bringing his power and office into disrepute".
He was also asked to apologise to the Appointments Committee of Parliament that vetted him before he was approved as the Minister of Transportation, for lying under oath.
The decisions were reached by the Commission after it had completed investigations into allegations of corruption, conflict of interest and abuse of power leveled against the Minister in his dealings with Ms. Alexandria O’Brien, an American.
Dr. Anane had admitted having an intimate relationship with Ms. O’Brien resulting in the birth of a child.
CHRAJ held that evidence gathered after 18 months of investigations comprising interviews of relevant witnesses and accusers, various documents and available information showed the Minister was guilty of two of the three allegations, namely abuse of power and conflict of interest but exonerated him on the third allegation of corruption.
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