NAPAIC-Ghana petitions CHRAJ against former Minister of State Rockson Bukari

The National Patriots against Corruption and Injustice Ghana (NAPAIC-Ghana) has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to see to it that former Minister of State at the Presidency, Rockson Ayine Bukari, is put on trial for his involvement in a bribery scandal that led to his resignation in 2019.

Mr Bukari has never faced trial at any court since he was caught on tapes making attempts to bribe the EIB Network’s investigative journalist, Edward Adeti, to cover up an incriminatory story involving a senior High Court judge, Justice Jacob Boon, and a wealthy Chinese mining company, Shaanxi Mining Company Ltd.

The antic-corruption organisation made the call in a petition lodged with the CHRAJ on Tuesday and copied to media houses. The public would recall that after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo accepted Mr Bukari’s resignation in April, 2019, a number of anti-corruption bodies including the Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana) called for the resigned Minister of State to be investigated.

The NAPAIC-Ghana’s petition comes with more highlights on the bribery scandal. Below is a full copy of the petition:

NATIONAL PATRIOTS AGAINST INJUSTICE AND CORRUPTION GHANA (NAPAIC-GHANA)

A PETITION TO THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE JUSTICE (CHRAJ) AGAINST FORMER MINISTER OF STATE AT THE PRESIDENCY, HON. ROCKSON AYINE BUKARI.     

DATE: 26/01/2021.                                                    

Dear Commissioner,

HON. ROCKSON BUKARI SHOULD BE PROSECUTED

The leadership of the National Patriots against Injustice and Corruption Ghana (NAPAIC-Ghana) wishes to file a petition to your outfit for a former Minister of State at the Presidency, Hon. Rockson Ayine Bukari, to be probed and prosecuted for his evidenced complicity in a bribery scandal that led to his resignation as a public officer in April, 2019.

The world is already aware of what led Hon. Rockson Ayine Bukari, a former Upper East Regional Minister, to resign his position as a Minister of State at the Presidency on Tuesday April 30, 2019. He was clearly caught on some investigative tapes as he attempted to bribe the EIB Network journalist, Edward Adeti, to cover up an investigative story about a senior High Court judge, His Lordship Justice Jacob Bawine Boon, and a Chinese mining company, Shaanxi Mining Company Limited.

Hon. Rockson Bukari resigned after the tapes were made public. Hon. Rockson Bukari himself admitted in his own resignation letter that he was “indiscreet” in his attempt to influence Edward Adeti with cash and some other items to drop the undercover story. Copies of his resignation letter and the letter of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo accepting Hon. Rockson Bukari’s letter are on the news websites of media houses to date.

The same investigation conducted by Edward Adeti led to Justice Jacob Boon recusing himself from the case he was handling with the Chinese mining company after Edward Adeti blew the cover on the secret meetings between Justice Boon and officials of the Shaanxi Mining Company Limited.

The Ghana Police Service (GPS) arraigned only three individuals before the Circuit Court in Bolgatanga, presided over by His Honour Malcolm Bedzrah, in 2019 for their roles in the bribery scandal involving Hon. Rockson Bukari. But Hon. Rockson Bukari was not arraigned in court. And to date, Hon. Rockson Bukari has NOT been arraigned in any law court concerning the scandal. The three individuals were Charles Taleog Ndanbon, Maxwell Wooma and Suwaid Abdul-Mumin. The three accused persons were acquitted and discharged because they were not public officers. We learned that twelve (12) tapes were submitted by Edward Adeti as a witness in the trial at the court. The tapes were admitted but were not even played before the three accused persons were acquitted and discharged mainly on the basis that they were not public officers. If the Ghana Police Service had included Hon. Rockson Bukari, who was a public officer as of the time the crime was committed, Hon. Rockson Bukari certainly would have ended up being convicted and sentenced based on the clear evidence available against him and upon which he resigned in 2019. But he was left off the hook by being excluded from the court trial.

NAPAIC-Ghana was shocked to hear Hon. Rockson Bukari, who should have been prosecuted and arraigned before court after his resignation for the embarrassing criminal act, rather telling A1 Radio, a radio station in Bolgatanga, that he would forgive Edward Adeti if the investigative journalist called him and apologised for exposing him. Who will ever come out to apologise to a wrongdoer? He went further in that interview by saying he wished to be appointed as an ambassador because he wanted “to go and rest”. He also claimed in that interview that he was sent to court and that the court acquitted and discharged him. But he failed to mention which court tried him and acquitted and discharged him. Hon. Rockson Bukari also repeated it in that recent interview that “a traditional ruler” asked him to tell Edward Adeti to not expose Justice Jacob Boon and the Shaanxi Mining Company Limited.

Edward Adeti has responded on his Facebook page that he does not owe Hon. Rockson Bukari any apology for exposing his secret interests with Justice Jacob Boon and the Shaanxi Mining Company Limited. Edward Adeti has hinted at bringing out more damning things about Hon. Rockson Bukari and he has challenged Hon. Rockson Bukari to mention the court he claimed he was sent to and which acquitted and discharged him. NAPAIC-Ghana wishes to go beyond Edward Adeti’s response by adding its voice to calls already made in 2019 by the likes of the Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana) for Hon. Rockson Bukari to be put on trial.

Even before the widely requested prosecution begins, Hon. Rockson Bukari should rather apologise to the public for what he has done. As a Minister of State at the Presidency, he has disgraced the Republic of Ghana. He has disgraced the country to the rest of the world. Somebody from Ghana may not be respected because of Hon. Rockson Bukari’s gross wrongdoing. How then can such a person with this shameful record be looking for an ambassadorial appointment to deepen the disgrace? He even said it without shame that he wanted an ambassadorial position in order to go and rest. Ghanaians can imagine the tainted mindset of a public servant who has already announced that he is not going to work as ambassadors do but he is going to rest. What a corrupted and awkward mindset being exhibited by a supposed public servant in a country like Ghana. What a public shame!

Certainly, Hon. Rockson Bukari wants an ambassadorial position not to go and rest but to go and hide outside the country because the huge embarrassment of the open bribery scandal is preventing him from walking freely in Ghana. He wants an ambassadorial appointment in order to make more embarrassing attempts to influence people to cover up shameful acts. NAPAIC-Ghana will not allow any smart machinations by any individual or group to make a wrongdoer, who deserves complete punishment for what he has done with clear evidence, to look good in the eyes of the public. Ghanaians simply should go back to those investigative tapes and be reminded of how damning Hon. Rockson Bukari’s bribery utterances are.

A Minister of State who made recorded attempts to interfere with justice with the bribery items that we all saw is a threat to justice for all innocent Ghanaians. Whilst we commend Edward Adeti for standing his ground on this matter and ask for more protection for him and his relations from relevant bodies, we also are using this medium to call on the Ghana Police Service to arraign Hon. Rockson Bukari before court without further delay as this is the only way the law can be proved to be efficient in ensuring the justice all Ghanaians deserve in the system is not denied them. Besides, Hon. Rockson Bukari has persistently mentioned that a traditional ruler told him to tell Edward Adeti to not expose Justice Boon and the Chinese mining company. Hon. Rockson Bukari should be compelled by the law when he is finally arraigned in court to assist the prosecution in bringing that traditional ruler to court also. Nobody should be above the law anywhere.

It is on this basis of the justice that has yet to be served NAPAIC-Ghana wishes to call on the CHRAJ and His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to help bring justice to bear on the bribery scandal involving Hon. Rockson Bukari by way of prosecution.

We are most grateful, Sir.

………………………………

Bismark N.S. Zumah

President, NAPAIC-GHANA.

(0247802033 and 0208369833)

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