Former Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) Justice Emile Short described the reappointment of Kwame Owusu as chair of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) board as inappropriate.

According to Mr. Short, the public outcry after the reappointment of Mr Owusu to the GRA are justified.

Mr. Short while speaking on The Key Points on TV3 advised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to rethink the appointment of the former Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) who was accused of corruption and conflict of interest albeit not yet cleared in any investigations.

According to him, the appointment  “sends a wrong signal on the standards of appointments”.

“It might not have been appropriate to appoint [Kwame Owusu] to such a sensitive position such as GRA when these allegations are still in the air,” he explained.

According to the former CHRAJ boss, who also chaired the Ayawaso West Wuogon Commission of Inquiry, it would have been appropriate for the president to wait for “the dust to settle” before making the appointment.

He reiterated that appointments by the president must be seen to be “meritorious and not on nepotism”.