The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has suspended indefinitely its investigations into the Mabey & Johnson scandal. A terse statement from CHRAJ announced the suspension of proceedings late Thursday morning. Officials of CHRAJ will not readily explain the reasons for the suspension. The move follows a wave of objections which compelled the commission to adjourn ruling on whether it could investigate the matter pending a High Court suit which challenged its jurisdiction. Lawyers for all the former ministers being investigated, except Dr Sipa Yankey, have raised objections to the process. Last week the lawyers filed an application prohibiting CHRAJ Commissioner Justice Emile Short from presiding over the public hearing for what they called his prejudicial comments on the investigations. CHRAJ, which has the mandate to investigate public officials on matters of corruption and abuse of office, has been sitting on the case for months now after several ex-public officers were mentioned as having taken bribes from the UK construction firm Mabey & Johnson between 1993 and 2006. The ex-officials - Dr Sipa Yankey, Messrs Kwame Peprah, Alhaji Baba Kamara, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique, Alhaji Amadu Seidu, Brigadier-General Lord Attivor and Dr Ato Quarshie - now have a respite as they await the verdict of the High Court. Meanwhile lawyer for Dr Ato Quarshie, Nana Ato Dadzie, said any decision by CHRAJ to go ahead with the investigation whilst a decision by the High Court is pending would have meant "moving perilously towards contempt of court." Nana Ato Dadzie said Ghanaians and the commission must allow the law to take its course, adding, the case, to a large extent, defines the "extent of the powers of CHRAJ." Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana