Former DCEs Ordered To Appear At Ghana@50 Probe Within A Week

The Chairman of the Ghana at Fifty Commission of Inquiry, Justice Isaac Duose has directed all former District Chief Executives (DCEs) named in the course of the probe to report themselves or have the BNI drag them to the commission. Justice Douse made the announcement on Wednesday, October 14, after hearing the submissions of the Former CEO of the defunct Ghana at fifty Secretariat, Dr. Charles Wereko Brobbey for the second day running. He explained that the directive is as a result of various allegations leveled against most of the DCEs at the committee�s sittings. According to him the commission, the various District Coordinating Directors who appeared before it have tried to trace the whereabouts of the DCE�s, but to no avail. The public hearings of the Commission commenced on July 23 after the Commission had done preliminary work which included visits to some Ghana @ 50 projects sites and organizing volumes of memoranda and petitions it had received at the time. So far, the Commission which has taken evidence from more than 200 witnesses comprising suppliers, contractors and service providers, is gradually drawing to a close. The only outstanding persons yet to be scheduled to appear are former Metropolitan, Municipal District Chief Executive and Coordinating directors who had been implicated by evidence from the various Assemblies. As its terms of reference, the Commission was to inquire into and report within three months, allegations of improper use of public or any other funds as well as inquire into the use by the Secretariat of any property, movable and immovable. The Commission was also to inquire into any other matter which appeared to be accidental to or reasonably related to Ghana @ 50 celebrations, which in the opinion of the Commission ought to be enquired into; and to make recommendations in respect of its own findings of fact. The Ghana@50 probing Commission is at the tail end of its three-month fact finding mission and is expected to wind up in two weeks. Dr. Wereko-Brobbey and Kojo Mpiani, the Chairman of the National Planning Committee of the celebrations were expected to appear as last witnesses, but this latest directive from the Chairman of the commission seem to suggest that the commission may ask for extension of its mandate.