President John Dramani Mahama has received 10 petitions calling for the removal of several high-ranking public officials, including the leadership of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Seven of the petitions are directed at EC Chairperson Jean Mensa and her two deputies — Dr. Bossman Eric Asare, in charge of Corporate Services, and Samuel Tettey, responsible for Operations.
The remaining three petitions target Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng. According to sources, all petitions have been transmitted to the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, for consideration.
In line with Article 70(2) of the Constitution, the President appoints the EC Chairperson, deputies, and other members upon the advice of the Council of State. Their conditions of service are equivalent to those of Justices of the superior courts, which means their removal follows strict constitutional processes.
The EC Chairperson enjoys the same terms as a Justice of the Court of Appeal, while the deputies’ conditions align with those of High Court Justices.
Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution outlines the procedure for removing Justices of the superior courts and chairpersons of certain tribunals. Once a petition is received, the President must refer it to the Chief Justice, who then determines whether a prima facie case has been established.
If a prima facie case is found, a committee — comprising three Justices and two additional members — is constituted to investigate the matter and submit its findings to the Chief Justice, who subsequently advises the President on the next steps.
