Anti-corruption campaigner, Vitus Azeem has expressed dissatisfaction with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) report regarding allegations of conflict of interest involving Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng.
In an interview on Joy FM’s Midday News on Tuesday, November 26, Mr. Azeem argued that CHRAJ should have conducted a thorough investigation and gathered the necessary evidence rather than claiming a lack of sufficient proof.
According to him, “CHRAJ has the power to order any institution, including banks, to provide information needed during its probe.
“If the man got GH¢2.6 million, have they examined his bank statements for the entire year to verify whether the money genuinely came from his account, whether he earned it, and why he decided to lend it to the National Cathedral Secretariat?” he questioned.
Mr. Azeem also raised concerns about the motive behind lending such a large sum of money interest-free, asking whether it was due to Reverend Boateng’s role as Executive Secretary of the Cathedral project.
“Why would they [CHRAJ] say there is no conflict of interest?” he quizzed.
“No, I am definitely not satisfied with the findings of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice. You see when an investigative body claims that they don’t have enough evidence, I am very skeptical about that claim,” he pointed out.
CHRAJ recently cleared Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng of allegations, including holding two passports under different names and conflict of interest in connection with the National Cathedral project.
The petition against him was filed in January 2023 by North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who accused Reverend Boateng of possessing multiple identities and engaging in questionable dealings.
The MP also alleged that GH¢2.6 million was transferred from the National Cathedral Secretariat to JNS Talent Centre Limited, a company owned by Reverend Kusi Boateng under his secondary identity, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
In its report, CHRAJ concluded that Reverend Boateng does not hold two passports, stating he was issued only one under the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
The Commission also found no evidence that services were rendered by JNS Talent Centre Limited. Instead, it reported that Reverend Boateng had loaned the money to the National Cathedral Secretariat to pay contractors during a financial crisis, with the transferred funds being repayments owed to him.
Despite CHRAJ’s findings, Mr. Azeem insists the Commission did not sufficiently explore critical questions regarding the origin of the funds and potential conflicts of interest.
