Charlotte Osei Saved Ghana GH¢15m Yet Was Punished – Thaddeus Sory Laments

Private legal practitioner and law lecturer, Thaddeus Sory, has expressed disappointment over what he describes as Ghana’s skewed sense of justice, citing the removal of former Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, despite her actions saving the state millions of cedis.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on October 20, Mr. Sory said Mrs. Osei’s removal in June 2018 exposed the moral and constitutional contradictions within Ghana’s governance system.

“I’m saying Charlotte Osei, her crime was that she saved Ghana GH¢15 million,” he stated. “She came and cancelled the contract because she said there was no value for money. She told the contractor to justify why we were paying that amount when her assessment showed otherwise — so GH¢15 million less is what she approved.”

According to him, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) later confirmed that Mrs. Osei had not breached procurement laws.

“PPA came and testified that there was no breach. At worst, one could only say best practices might have required her to seek permission to award the contract for less than what was initially approved. But she was removed,” he lamented.

Mr. Sory criticised what he described as a tendency to punish integrity and moral courage in public service.

“If that is what the society wants, so be it,” he remarked, stressing that true accountability should mirror the expectations of the people.

He also explained the constitutional basis for removing public officials for “stated misbehaviour,” noting that it is not meant to list every specific offence but rather to uphold moral and ethical standards expected of leaders.

“When we say stated misbehaviour or incompetence, remember that justice emanates from the people. If the Chief Justice gets drunk whilst in office, that’s misbehaviour. If she makes decisions that contradict what she applies to herself, that too is misbehaviour,” he said.

Mr. Sory further argued that ordinary citizens, not just judges, should play a greater role in determining public misconduct since “justice emanates from the people.”

“We, those in the justice system, judge ordinary men. If it affects us, let them also judge us,” he asserted.

He rejected suggestions that misconduct should be codified, saying such an approach would be impossible.

“It will be limitless,” he said, adding that public confidence should guide how such issues are handled. “The public will tell you they don’t like that.”

Mr. Sory concluded by observing that even long-standing democracies have flaws in their constitutions but continue to function based on public trust rather than perfection.

“There are 200-year-old constitutions with atrocious provisions — like one that allows a president to win an election with fewer votes. Yet it still stands, because their trust in the system remains,” he noted.