Ken Attafuah faults Ghana@50 probe commission

Prof. Ken Attafuah, ex-NIA boss Ex-boss of the National Identification Authority, Prof Ken Attafuah has faulted proceedings at the Ghana@50 hearing for 'gross procedural defects', just a day after it began public sittings. Mr. Akoto Ampaw, lawyer for Charles Wereko-Brobby, CEO for the Ghana@50 Secretariat that administered programmes for the celebrations, on Thursday questioned among other things why his client was not formally notified about allegations made against him and the non-existence of procedures governing the Commission's hearing. Chairman of the Commission, Justice Isaac Douse admitted there were no procedures, but said rules pertaining to the courts will be applied. Ken Attafuah however disagreed. He told Citi News any presidential commission does have the powers of a high court but must be “masters of their own procedures.” Such procedures, he said must ensure an expeditious justice delivery for all witnesses who appear before the Commission. Prof Attafuah said it is in the interest of the Commission to provide witnesses with details of procedures if the integrity and sanctity of the Commission will be upheld. Citing the National Reconciliation Commission set up in 2001, of which he was the administrative secretary, Prof Attafuah said the procedures of the Commission’s sittings were made public days before the witnesses appeared. On why allegations were not communicated to witnesses, Prof Attafuah said any Commission owes it a duty to provide witnesses in written form, all accusations made against them in order to prepare appropriate responses when they formally appear. These he said forms the fundamental pillars in the dispensation of justice and called on the Ghana@50 probe Commission to improve upon their procedures. On the slow pace of the Commission’s proceedings, Prof Attafuah advised the Commission to contact parliament to make available to it a recording system that will hasten the work of the commission. He argued that members of the Commission will have the opportunity to listen attentively to the substance of the issues being raised by the witnesses and not the letters or sentences of their statements. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana