The government transitional team has denied media reports that 30 civil servants have been sacked because of doubts over their political affiliation. The secretary of the Government Transition Sub-Committee on Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tony Aidoo, says the appointment of the 30 people was suspended pending investigations into the processes leading to their appointment. The Daily Guide newspaper, in its Tuesday, January 13, 2009 edition reported that “thirty Civil Servants have been sacked on the orders of the transition team set up by President John Evans Atta Mills. The dismissed civil servants were A5 Foreign Service officers at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who had received their appointment letters and had been officially sworn into office.” Ministry sources told the paper the Mills' Transition Team Sub-Committee on Foreign Affairs had expressed doubts about the political affiliation of the said civil servants and thus directed that their appointments be terminated with immediate effect. The paper said as part of the admission requirements, the civil servants were made to write an entrance examination in May 2007 after which they were interviewed for the positions in February 2008. They eventually received their official appointment letters on December 1, 2008 and were sworn into office on January 5 this year. Dr. Aidoo told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah that the decision to suspend the appointments was informed by some irregularities in the selection process. Reading from the report of the selection board of the A5 Foreign Service officers, he said out of the about 140 candidates interviewed for the job, the interview panel recommended the first 30 who obtained the highest marks. According to him, not only did the minister increase this number to 40, he also disregarded the names recommended by the panel and selected persons who did make the pass mark of 70 per cent. Dr. Aidoo said based on these irregularities, the appointments were suspended to allow for further investigations into the issues. He gave the assurance that after the investigations those who deserve to be engaged will be appointed. Story by Malik Abass Daabu