A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Adentan Constituency has petitioned the party’s Appeals Committee and Elections Committee, calling for the disqualification of Mr. Stephen Osei-Bonsu Boateng from contesting the position of Constituency Communications Officer over integrity concerns.
The petitioner, one Amebo Courage, is asking the party to conduct an urgent background check into the aspirant’s eligibility, moral standing, and suitability for the position.
According to the petition submitted to the Adentan Constituency Appeals Committee and Elections Committee, the Communications Officer position is a strategic role that requires a person with the highest standards of honesty, credibility, trustworthiness, and public confidence because the officer serves as the public voice and defender of the party’s image.
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The petitioner alleged that Mr. Osei-Bonsu Boateng, a staunch confidant of NPP General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua, was previously involved in criminal investigations and court proceedings relating to alleged financial misconduct during his employment with a fuel retail company and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to two years in prison.
The petition stated that should independent verification confirm the conviction, adverse judicial finding, admission of guilt, custodial sentence or findings involving dishonesty, fraud, theft, misappropriation or breach of trust, the aspirant should be barred outright from contesting any leadership role within the party.
The petitioner has therefore called on the NPP’s internal committees to:
- Conduct a comprehensive due diligence exercise into the background of Mr. Osei-Bonsu Boateng.
- Obtain and review relevant court records, police records, judicial decisions, convictions, sentences or official findings.
- Determine whether his candidature meets the ethical and moral standards required for a Constituency Executive Officer.
- Disqualify his candidature if investigations establish facts inconsistent with the integrity requirements of party leadership.
The petition argues that political parties have a responsibility to protect their reputation and ensure that individuals occupying leadership positions uphold the values of accountability, transparency and responsible leadership.
A judgment of 24th May, 2022, by a Circuit Judge, Her Honour Afia Owusuaa Appiah (Mrs), with suit no: D4/06/2021, indicated that Mr. Stephen Osei-Bonsu Boateng, while working as an Accountant at Roofsenaf’s LPG Station in Dzorwulu, Accra, was involved in a fuel theft scheme through the unauthorised discharge of fuel into containers.
The alleged incident involved an amount of GH¢214,205.00 belonging to the company.
Mr. Osei-Bonsu Boateng was prosecuted at the Accra High Court, convicted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, with an order to make full restitution to the company owner.
The conviction allegedly resulted in Mr. Boateng serving his sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.
The NPP Constitution, meanwhile, states in Article 5 that a member shall be disqualified from holding any office or contesting any election in the Party if such a member, among others, has been convicted and/or sentenced by a court of competent jurisdiction in respect of any offence ….involving dishonesty, fraud or moral turpitude, etc.
However, despite this clear provision, General Secretary, Lawyer Justin Kodua, is reportedly using sleight of hand to enable Mr. Boateng to contest the office in clear breach of the NPP Constitution.
The petitioner relied on Article 4, Subsection 3, Clause 6 of the NPP Constitution, arguing that the party’s structures have the authority to investigate complaints involving conduct that may undermine the party’s constitution and interests.
The petitioner maintains that investigating such allegations is necessary to protect the credibility of the party’s internal electoral process.