The High Court in Accra has dismissed an application seeking to prevent Commissioner of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno from serving as Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations.
This decision comes after careful consideration of the case, and its implications are expected to resonate throughout Ghana’s law enforcement community.
The action was filed by a lecturer, Emmanuel Felix Mantey, was after Yohuno’s appointment by President Akufo-Addo.
The lecturer’s argument was that his appointment was illegal, since there is no office in the Ghana Police Service set up as the deputy IGP in charge of operations.
In his statement of the case, lawyers of the the applicant, Emmanuel Felix Martey, led by Lom Nuku Ahlijah, argued that the Constitution only recognised the office of the Inspector General of Police and did not create a ‘Deputy Inspector General of Police’.
The applicant wants an order of prohibition restraining COP Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno from acting or purporting to act in the role of Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations.
He also sought for an order restraining the respondents, that is the Attorney-General, the Police Council, from carrying out any actions in furtherance of the appointment of COP Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno as Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations.
However, Angel Lolo, lawyer for COP. Christian Tetteg Yuhonu, opposed to the application and arguwd that the action by the applicant, was in the wrong forum.
He claimed, the jurisdiction of the High Court, was wrongly invoked and prayed for the case to be dismissed.
Justice Richard Apietu, presiding, the President only performed his administrative functions and not exercising adjudicatory powers when he appointed, COP Christian Tetteh Yuhonu, as the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, therefore, the provisions relied on by the applicant, are not the appropriate statutory provisions to be invoked against the deputy Inspector General of Police.
The court consequently dismissed the application.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
