CHRAJ�s Image Is Intact � Joseph Whittal

Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Joseph Whittal, has debunked assertions that the Commissioner, Lauretta Vivian Lamptey, has tarnished the image of the Commission. He said: �The image of CHRAJ is very much riding high and we are doing our work as expected of us.� The CHRAJ Commissioner, Ms Lamptey, has for the past two weeks been in the news for wasting public funds on a rented apartment at the AU Village at a cost of $180,000 and ordering an extensive renovation works on her official bungalow. Various groups and individuals are calling for her impeachment since her actions have brought the image of the Commission into disrepute. The Minority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, has backed calls for her removal while the Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has petitioned the President to begin the impeachment process. The Auditor General�s Department has also begun an audit into the finances of the Commission. But speaking on Adom FM�s Dwaso Nsem on Friday, the Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal argued that the scandal has not affected their duties saying, �we are proceeding with a number of activities as if nothing has happened.� He, however, lambasted the media for waging war on his boss describing it as �uncalled for.� �It�s important that things are made bare, but sometimes you [media] stretch things too much�and it will be better that we allow mandated bodies undertake investigations before we start speculating. If we are not careful we will run down government institutions and it is difficult to to re-build reputations,� he added.