The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is investigating the Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, following allegations of selective payments of ex-gratia benefits to members of the 8th Parliament while excluding officials from the Executive arm of the previous administration.

In a letter dated February 20, 2026, CHRAJ, led by Commissioner Joseph Akanjolenur Whittal, confirmed receipt of a formal complaint and invited the Finance Minister to respond to the allegations within ten days.

The Commission emphasized that under its mandate, individuals implicated in complaints must be given the opportunity to provide their side before further action is taken.

Complaint

The complaint was filed by Wilberforce Asare, a Ghanaian broadcast journalist, who accuses the Finance Minister of bias and conflict of interest in the disbursement of Article 71 emoluments.

According to the petitioner, while Members of Parliament—including the Minister himself—received their ex-gratia payments in two installments in May and July 2025, officials who served in the Executive, as well as other constitutional office holders like the Council of State, have yet to be paid.

The petitioner argues that the Minister, who also serves as a sitting Member of Parliament, placed himself in a position where his personal interest conflicted with his official duties.

This, he contends, contravenes Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution, which prohibits public officers from engaging in actions where personal interest conflicts with public responsibility.

“Article 284 of the Constitution provides unequivocally: “A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office.”

“As Minister for Finance, the Respondent exercised control and influence over the prioritization and release of public funds. In authorizing or facilitating payment to Members of Parliament, of whom he is one, while leaving other equally entitled constitutional office holders unpaid, the Respondent placed himself in a position where his personal financial interest directly conflicted with his public duty,” the complainant stated.

“The conflict is aggravated by the fact that members of the former Executive, members of the former Council of State, and members of the Judiciary, who are entitled to be paid under Article 71, all remain unpaid as at the date of this complaint, despite their emoluments being determined at the same sitting of Parliament.

“The Respondent (Cassiel Ato Forson) therefore preferred his personal interest and the interest of his occupational class over those of other arms of government, in clear violation of Article 284,” the complainant further stated.

Legal And Constitutional Grounds

The complaint invokes multiple constitutional provisions, including Articles 17, 23, 284, and 296, citing alleged discrimination, unfair administrative conduct, abuse of discretionary power, and conflict of interest.

It further argues that CHRAJ has jurisdiction under Articles 218 and 287 of the Constitution to investigate such matters involving corruption, abuse of power, and unfair treatment by public officials.

According to documents referenced in the complaint, Parliament confirmed that payments to MPs covering the period from January 2021 to January 2025 were duly approved and disbursed.

However, the exclusion of other arms of government—particularly the Executive, Judiciary, and Council of State—has raised concerns about fairness and constitutional compliance.

Reliefs Sought

The petitioner is seeking several remedies from CHRAJ, including a full investigation into the Finance Minister’s conduct, formal findings of any constitutional breaches, and appropriate sanctions or directives to restore fairness in the administration of public funds.

The outcome of the investigation is expected to test the constitutional safeguards on conflict of interest and equitable treatment in the distribution of state resources, particularly concerning Article 71 officeholders.