Private legal practitioner lawyer Kofi Bekai has noted that the grounds on which a sitting President can be impeached is no child’s play.
He said for a president to be impeached, he should have breached his oath of office which he swore to uphold.
He posited that the president shall not be liable for criminal and civil proceedings in court while in office.
Lawyer Bekai stated that a president who has executive power cannot be dragged to parliament to answer questions because it would be null and void.
In his view, the petition filed by some three Ghanaians demanding the impeachment of the president may not succeed.
He challenged anyone with any evidence of any wrongdoing against the President that could lead to impeachment to provide them.
He added that it would be shocking for parliament to waste its time on the petition because it will amount to nothing.
He said if you want to know the facts of the issues, we have to probe the matter properly and gather the needed and strong evidence to help take a court against the president if possible.
He said “the petition filed may require the presence of Serwaa Broni who has made some allegations but the President who has executive power cannot be summoned to appear before parliament”.
Lawyer Bekai said if the court finds grounds to hear a matter involving the president, it would be three years after he had vacated his seat.
Background
Three Ghanaians have petitioned parliament demanding the impeachment of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over allegations by one Evelyn Serwaa Broni.
The petitioners want Parliament to commence the impeachment process following Serwaa Broni’s allegations that President Akufo-Addo and some of his assigns orchestrated a robbery attack on her, over her supposed threat to expose the President regarding an alleged romantic affair with her.
The petitioners are Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese, Elikem Kotoko, and Stephen Kwabena Attuh.
According to them, the petition is well-grounded to invoke Article 69 (1) of the 1992 Constitution and warrant an inquiry into the matter and a subsequent impeachment proceeding initiated by Parliament to give effect to the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
They averred that the allegations, if proven to be true, would amount to “human rights abuse, abuse of office, exposing the security of Ghana to external threat…” as well as “…dragging the name of the high office of President into disrepute”.
Also in their petition, they indicated that they draw their motivation for their action from Article 41 (a), (b), and (f) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana to uphold and defend the Constitution.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
