The High Court has ordered the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to provide an update on its investigation into a complaint filed against the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, over the payment of Article 71 benefits to former public officials.
The complaint was filed in December 2025 by journalist and Managing Editor of The Source, Wilberforce Asare.
In the petition, he accused the finance minister of conflict of interest, discrimination, unfair administrative conduct, and abuse of discretionary power in the selective payment of Article 71 emoluments and end-of-service benefits.
According to the complaint, Members of Parliament, including the Finance Minister himself, received their approved Article 71 payments in May and July 2025.
However, other former public office holders who were also entitled to the payments, such as the former President, former Vice President, former Ministers, and former Members of the Council of State, had allegedly not been paid.
Mr. Asare argued that the selective payment raised serious concerns about fairness, transparency, and the proper use of public authority.
He also claimed that despite the gravity of the allegations, CHRAJ failed to formally acknowledge receipt of the complaint or communicate the status of its investigations.
Following months of silence, Wilberforce Asare filed an application at the High Court in March 2026 seeking an order of mandamus to compel CHRAJ to carry out its constitutional and statutory duty to investigate the matter.
In response, CHRAJ filed an affidavit in April 2026 confirming that investigations had begun. The commission also attached documents showing that it had written to the finance minister requesting his response to the allegations.
After several adjournments, the High Court on Tuesday ordered CHRAJ to provide Wilberforce Asare with an update on the investigation within seven days.
The court also directed the commission to furnish him with a copy of the Finance Minister’s response, if any, and outline the next steps it intends to take to conclude the investigation.
