The Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has described as shameful, the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) boss’ announcement that she has finally moved into her official residence after months of lodging at a hotel.

“Did we have to put pressure on her to move? It’s shameful that she should even be bold enough to declare that she moved after the second publication of the Daily Graphic,” he remarked.

CHRAJ boss accused of wasting $180,000 on rent
Lauretta Vivian Lamptey on Friday told Citi News, she had moved out of the hotel she was lodging with her family into her official residence.

This announcement came after the Daily Graphic reported that the CHRAJ boss was still lodging at the hotel three months after news of her rent expenditure which caused public outrage.

Reacting to Ms Lamptey’s announcement, Annoh-Dompreh, who was the first petitioner demanding her impeachment stressed that it is “detestable for her to announce and it’s not something that we should be proud of that upon persistent pressure, she decided begrudgingly to move to an official residence. It is not good enough.”

The second petitioner in the case; the Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF) is demanding that Ms Lamptey must be made to pay the extra cost she incurred while lodging at the hotel.

The group questioned why she still lodged at the hotel when renovation works on her official residence was completed.

The Convener of the PNF, Richard Nyamah told Citi News, he has credible information suggesting that the official residence had been completed over a month ago.

“Her house had been ready for over a month now so why has it taken her an extra month to move in?” he asked.

Nyamah remarked that it is mind “boggling but beyond that, she’s cost us GHC 161,000 and I am told that the monies have actually been paid from the Ministry of Finances account.”

According to him, the nation in its current financial crisis cannot afford to settle the hotel bills from the public coffers “so I would ask the Minister of Finance to at least offset it with the period that the house was ready for her to move but continued to stay in the hotel.”

“So at least, for the last one month, the money should be deducted and then she will pay it. Already, we’ve spent huge sums of money on her already,” he added.

citifmonline.com

The Minority in Parliament has called for the constitution of a bipartisan parliamentary committee to investigate the case of the arrest of Nayele Ametefe, a Ghanaian woman in the United Kingdom for trafficking cocaine.

According to the group, the inconsistent responses from key government operatives including the Ministers of Communications and Foreign Affairs call for the intervention of Parliament.

Nayele Ametefe Aka Ruby Adu Gyamfi, who exited Ghana using the VVIP lounge at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, was arrested by UK authorities at Heathrow two weeks ago for attempting to traffic 12.5 kg of cocaine.

Addressing the Press conference in Parliament on Wednesday, the Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu expressed surprise why the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) has thus far maintained a stony silence and allowed the ministry responsible for information to misinform the country.

He further wondered how it became possible for the cocaine lady to use the VVIP lounge when it is now public knowledge that she does not qualify to use that facility, and also who aided her to traffic the drug out of Ghana.

“If the purpose of NACOB’s lie was to ride on the back of a credible partner to prevent any local inquisition into the Nayele Ametefeh cocaine scandal, then the question to ask is, whose bidding was NACOB doing? Was the Mahama government behind the NACOB’s deception?” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu quizzed.

Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu added that going forward the Minority is recommending that the position of the Executive Secretary of NACOB which has since 2009 reverted to the hands of politicians instead of professionals and intelligence operatives must go back to the latter to enhance efficiency and curb patronizing attitude of officials.

Again, the Draft Bill to turn NACOB into a Commission prepared in 2008 which has not yet been submitted to Parliament in spite of assurances from the Presidency since 2009 must be presented to Parliament immediately.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri constituency, Frank Annor Dompreh is asking government to immediately provide alternative accommodation for Madam Lauretta Lamptey, Commissioner for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and end her stay at the plush hotel she is currently occupying.

The Daily Graphic newspaper reported that the under fire CHRAJ boss is still staying at hotel three months after her rent bills sparked a public outcry.

The newspaper also reported that over GHs160, 000 was spent between August and November on hotel bills alone.

Frank Annor Dompreh, one of the two petitioners who want the CHRAJ boss impeached in an interview with Citi News expressed surprise over government’s continuous waste of resources on Lauretta’s hotel bills when other economically viable means can be adopted to accommodate her.

He intimated that “I am surprised to hear that even as we speak the CHRAJ boss is still cruising and enjoying in the hotel and the bill would have to be borne by the Ghanaian taxpayer. That is the aspect that saddens my heart. I think that in that direction government has not behaved appropriately and its time they behave by taking that woman from that hotel as soon as possible.”

On his petition, Annor Dompreh said “as to whether investigations has stalled or not I think I want to respect her Ladyships office because she has communicated to me on this matter already and I can only wait until investigation is through.”

Citifmonline.com

The Minority in Parliament will hold a press conference on Wednesday to address issues surrounding the cocaine scandal.

Nayele Ametefe was busted at the Heathrow Airport in London on November 10,  trying to transport about 12 kilograms of cocaine into the country.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Deputy Minority Leader, Dominic Nitiwul said the press conference will enable them expose the mystery surrounding the scandal.

He said “…We are taking this matter from different angles. Let no body think that this matter is going to lie today especially the   expose by the forensic guys worsens the matter. That is the main reason why we are doing the press conference because it is giving us a different dimension on this whole stuff.”

According to him, “as a Minority, we’ve covered grounds in all aspects on this cocaine matter…we are going to demand through the speaker of Parliament [that] the minister comes to brief us when we have exposed all these things and other areas alike…This is just the beginning.”

Parliament was suspended on Tuesday following a heated debate among Members of Parliament (MPs) over the cocaine scandal.

The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho was forced to suspend the sitting over an intense debate among MPs after Dominic Nitiwul brought into Parliament small bags of rice to make a point on the cocaine scandal.

Meanwhile, a former Chief of Staff under the Kufour Administration, Kojo Mpiani has advised that the issue should not be politicized.

“The drug menace is to be taken on a national basis, it’s a problem for the nation but if you want to push it on a government because it happened at the time somebody is in office then you lose sight of the whole problem and it’s a very serious problem,” he warned.

citifmonline.com

Proceedings on the floor of Parliament had to be truncated for 10 minutes on Tuesday, November 25 when the Speaker, Rt Hon. Edward Doe Adjaho, upset about the “unparliamentary” action of the Deputy Minority Leader, Dominic Nitiwul called for the suspension.

The Member of Parliament for Bimbilla Constituency who had been called by the Speaker to contribute to the debate of the 2015 budget rather displayed a 12-kilogramme bag of rice on the floor, expressing shock how the security agencies at the VVIP Lounge of the Kotoka International Airport failed to detect cocaine of the same weight which was in a handbag.

He was ingeniously referring to the arrest of Nayele Ametefe at the Heathrow International Airport in London with 12.5kg of cocaine.

The arrest of the young lady and the mystery surrounding her ability to outwit the security agencies has made her arrest a topical issue being discussed on several media platforms for a fortnight.

Mr Nitiwul’s surprise action enraged the Majority Leader, Alban Bagbin, who accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of being infamous for trafficking drugs.

He said Ghanaians out there will bear witness that the NDC can never be said to have anything to do with illicit cocaine trafficking, while the NPP cannot extricate itself from the illegal trade.

These comments generated into a shouting battle with both sides of the House accusing each other of dabbling in cocaine.

The Speaker, who was displeased with happenings on the floor, called for a 10 minutes break and summoned the leadership of both sides to a meeting.

He returned with the leadership later with the two sides all apologizing for the unfortunate turn of events after which the debate on the 2015 budget continued.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh