VICTOR BANAFU HACKMAN AND BUREAU OF NATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS [2001]DLCHRAJ5909

Date	2001-03-29
Suit No.	Our Ref: CHRAJ/768/99/1129
Citation No.	[2001]DLCHRAJ5909

BENJAMIN K. OPPONG

[2001]DLCHRAJ5909
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B050">VICTOR BANAFU HACKMAN<o:p></o:p>(COMPLAINANT)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B050">BUREAU OF NATIONAL
INVESTIGATIONS<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">(CHRAJ)<o:p></o:p>

Our Ref: CHRAJ/768/99/1129&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 29/03/2001<o:p></o:p>

</div>commissioner:<o:p></o:p>BENJAMIN
K. OPPONG DEPUTY COMMISSIONER (LEGAL/OPERATIONS)<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;FOR COMMISSIONER<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>The
Complainant herein filed a complaint at the Registry of this Commission on 9th
December, 1999 praying for the Commission's intervention against a precipitous
transfer from Accra to Sunyani which was to take place on the 9th December,
1999.<o:p></o:p>The thrust of the complaint was that the
Complainant was being transferred at a very short notice, i.e. 48 hours notice
and was praying to be given adequate time to enable him prepare his wife who
was paralysed and bedridden both psychologically and physically for the
conveyance from Accra to Sunyani.<o:p></o:p>The Commission reacted promptly and
ordered that the Respondents be restrained from executing the transfer until
the final determination of the Commission's investigations.<o:p></o:p>Unfortunately this otherwise seemingly
innocuous act of the Commission was not taken kindly by the Respondents as well
as the Minister-In-Charge of National Security. Apparently, he was attempting
to resolve the case between the Complainant and the Respondents. Both the
Complainant and the Commission had stepped on Executive toes. Why should the
Complainant, knowing that the case was before the august Minister, complain to
the Commission?<o:p></o:p>In
the teeth of the complaint before the Commission and the Commission's letter of
9th December, 1999 restraining the Respondents from executing the order of
transfer, the complainant was summarily dismissed from the service of the
Respondents with effect from 20th December, 1999 for having vacated his post.
He had refused to transfer to Sunyani, hence the vacation of post.<o:p></o:p>The
Commission takes a very serious view of the conduct of the Respondents which is
a flagrant disrespect and disregard of the mandate of the Commission provided
for by the 1992 Constitution of the Republic. Indeed by this despicable conduct
of theirs, Respondents sought to bring the Commission into disrepute. .<o:p></o:p>The
Commission views the dismissal as premature and intended to preempt the
constitutional function of the Commission. Article 218(a) of the 1992
Constitution provides that the Commission's functions shall include the duty to
investigate complaints of violations of fundamental rights and freedoms,
injustice, corruption, abuse of power and unfair treatment of any person by a
public officer in the exercise of his official duties. The Commission holds
that Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) is not an exception to the
category of institutions whose officials may be investigated by the Commission.<o:p></o:p>It is however sad to note that the
Respondents ignored the letter requesting it to submit its comments to the
Commission before dismissing the Complainant.<o:p></o:p>