The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has rejected a formal appeal by the Electoral Commission, setting the stage for a full-scale probe into allegations of procurement and disposal of expensive biometric equipment by the election management body.

The EC had filed a challenge seeking to dismiss a petition lodged by the policy think tank IMANI Africa in May 2024, arguing that CHRAJ lacked the constitutional jurisdiction to investigate and issue a binding pronouncement on the matter.

CHRAJ’s ruling, delivered recently, dismisses the EC’s challenge, affirming its constitutional mandate to pursue accountability in public administration.

The core allegations brought forth by IMANI involve the EC’s handling of biometric equipment worth tens of millions of dollars.

These expensive election systems, critical to Ghana's electoral integrity, are central to claims of:

1. Reckless Financial Conduct: Pertaining to the alleged misuse of public funds in the equipment lifecycle.
2. Abuse of Power & Discretion: In the management of the public property.
3. Conflict of Interest: Within the procurement, retirement, and disposal processes.

IMANI’s petition argues that “every aspect of the procurement, retirement, and disposal process (including the purported auction) was highly flawed and tainted by gross maladministration, abuse of power & discretion, and financial loss amounting to tens of millions of dollars.”

The ruling marks a crucial victory for IMANI, which has waged a relentless campaign to hold the EC to account since 2020.

The policy institution noted that the EC’s intransigence, including its consistent “failure to engage with IMANI or provide information”, compelled it to seek redress from CHRAJ.

Despite the gravity of the allegations, the EC took a full year after the petition was filed in May 2024 to respond with its legal challenge.

IMANI countered the EC's demand for dismissal with a detailed reply and a comprehensive set of appendices, containing extensive arguments and evidence regarding the “gravity of the matters” brought before the Commission.

The think tank reaffirmed its commitment to seeing the matter through, stating that it “looks forward to seeing this matter through until justice, accountability, fairness, and administrative propriety are fully upheld for the benefit of the people of Ghana.”

The ruling now mandates the EC to fully cooperate with CHRAJ, shifting the focus from procedural wrangling to the substance of the allegations concerning the management of Ghana's electoral assets.