CHRAJ confirms conflict of interest petition against Adu Boahen

Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has filed a case against a former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over his latest investigative piece titled: “Galamsey Economy”.

The journalist has petitioned CHRAJ to investigate Mr Adu Boahen over allegations of conflict of interest.

Petition received

The Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal, in an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday, confirmed that his office had received documents from Tiger Eye P.I., requesting the commission to initiate investigations into the said allegation.

Mr Whittal, who could not give further details of the content of the documents received on November 17, said the commission was about to carry out an initial assessment of the complaint to ensure that it had been made through the right procedure and also determine whether or not the mandate of the commission had been triggered.

Exposé

The latest expose by the Tiger Eye P.I. team, led by Anas, which was shown last week led to the termination of Mr Adu Boahen’s appointment as Minister of State for Finance.

Mr Adu Boahen was allegedly captured on camera using the name of the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to influence investors and also received bribes on his behalf.

The investigative piece allegedly captured Mr Adu Boahen asking an investor to pay an appearance fee of $200,000 to enable a meeting between him and the Vice- President.

Mr Adu Boahen also allegedly told the supposed investor that he should promise the Vice-President of employing some of his relatives to enable his investment to kick off early.

The Vice-President, who did not take the said allegations kindly, in a Facebook post distanced himself from the said conduct of Mr Adu Boahen, subsequently leading to his dismissal.

Adu Boahen denies

Mr Adu Boahen has, meanwhile, denied the allegations, saying the whole thing was an entrapment.

"This is not true. This follows an attempt to entrap myself and other persons in 2018. Substantively, I have not been involved in this act of which I am being accused.

"I do not, however, wish to be a distraction to the government and the Ministry of Finance at this crucial moment,” he said in a media reaction.

He said he looked forward to a full investigation, "which will reveal that I have not committed this act”.