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National Democratic Congress (NDC) secretary general Johnson Asiedu Nketia said his party was helping Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah redeem his image following corruption allegations against him.
The NDC chief scribe said the NDC press conference earlier today was intended to help analyze steps to take to help protect the credibility of the judiciary, which is tainted with corruption allegations.
There have been allegations against the Chief Justice by lawyer Akwasi Afrifa who claims that Anin-Yeboah demanded $ 5 million from Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI.
This became public when the Kumasi-based lawyer responded to the Disciplinary Commission of the General Legal Council (GLC) after a complaint was filed against him by Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI.
In his response, Akwasi Afrifa alleged that the chief told him at the end of July 2020 that friends of his who were closely linked politically had taken him to see the chief justice who had agreed to help him win his case on condition that ‘he drops it. (Akwesi Afrifa) as the lawyer in charge of his case and hires Akoto Ampaw Esq in his stead.
“He [the chief] further informed me that the Chief Justice had requested a bribe of USD 5,000,000.00 for a favorable outcome of his case and that he had already paid USD 500,000.00 to the Chief Justice ” , Akwesi Afrifa had told him, according to Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI.
But speaking to the press at party headquarters, NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia urged the chief justice to step down so that inquiries can be launched into the case.
But reacting to the presser, Asiedu Nketia said: “We [the NDC] want to help the chief justice to redeem his image.
“We have called the press to suggest ways the Chief Justice can exonerate himself. Someone probably wants to drag their name through the mud. Rather, we are helping him because the allegations come from someone and we don’t know who is telling the truth, ”he added.
For him, the chief whose case is in court can take advantage of his relationship with the chief justice to tarnish his image, adding “so when we ask questions, we help clarify the problem”.
Surveys
The NDC instructed the General Legal Council not to investigate allegations of corruption against the chief justice.
Asiedu Nketiah believes the CHRAJ can do a better job than the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service that Anin-Yeboah has appointed to investigate the case.
Speaking at the press conference, Asiedu Nketiah said: “We do not agree with the referral of these allegations to the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council by the Chief Justice, for the sole reason that he is It is an emanation of a body chaired by the person at the center of these allegations, the Chief Justice.
“The likelihood of an impartial and balanced investigation on their part into this case would be fairly minimal as long as the chief justice remains in office,” he argued.
He added: “Conversely, the CHRAJ, which has an enviable reputation for investigating similar cases of alleged corruption against senior state and government officials, would be in a better position to conduct such a serious investigation.
Below is the NDC statement;
SPEECH OF THE HON. JOHNSON ASIEDU NKETIA, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS ON CHARGES OF CORRUPTION AGAINST THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA.
July 13, 2021.
Hello ladies and gentlemen of the media. Allow me to welcome you to this urgent meeting in which we intend to share our thoughts on an issue of grave national importance.
In recent days, we have learned of the damning allegations made against the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Judge Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, by a prominent lawyer, Akwasi Afrifa Esq., That his client whom he was leading the had informed that the chief justice had demanded a bribe of 5 million US dollars to secure the verdict of a case in the Supreme Court. He also alleges that the Chief Justice demanded the replacement of He Akwasi Afrifa by Akoto Ampaw Esq. as Lawyer in the case as a precondition to ensure victory in the case for his client.
We have also taken note of the refusal of the chief in question, Nana Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI and the Chief Justice of the said allegations and of the latter’s subsequent request to investigate the case by the CID of the Ghana Police Service.
Distinguished media friends, the allegations against the Chief Justice are very serious and undermine the very foundations of the judiciary, which is an indispensable and independent arm of government. Any suggestion that the head of such an institution has sought to compromise his function in order to undermine the integrity of judgments rendered by the courts deserves the greatest attention. Indeed, any doubt about the integrity of the judiciary and its leadership can completely erode public confidence in the administration of justice in Ghana and in our institutions of governance as a whole.
Over the years, we have collectively worked hard to build a justice system with an enviable reputation as a country. Our judiciary has produced some of the best jurists on the African continent and dare I say it, in the world. Ghanaian lawyers have held senior positions in the judicial systems of other African countries and in many well-known international institutions. The role of an efficient, independent and impartial judiciary in attracting investment, ensuring national stability and improving the general well-being of citizens cannot be overstated.
As the political tradition that gave birth to the Fourth Republic, we are deeply concerned that if this issue is not dealt with with the utmost transparency and seriousness required, it could undermine public confidence in power. judicial process and roll back the many gains we have made in our march as a viable democratic state.
In this regard, and without taking sides or commenting on the merits or otherwise of said allegations of corruption against the Chief Justice, we believe that an investigation by the CID police would be woefully insufficient to assure the Ghanaian public that a full investigation. has been carried out in this area.
We believe that the recent history of the Police CID in investigating allegations against high-ranking Akufo-Addo / Bawumia government officials would not provide the kind of confidence that needs to be engendered in an investigation like this given the high position of the person against whom these allegations were made.
We recall how corruption cases like the Australian visa fraud scandal, the Galamsey fraud scandal, the 500 missing excavator scandal, to name a few, ended in clear cover-ups when they been processed by the police CID. The scale and gravity of this matter demands maximum transparency and trust that the CID cannot muster at this time.
We at the NDC believe that while these allegations have a criminal component, they are to the same extent an alleged misconduct on the part of a judge and, as such, would normally fall within the jurisdiction of the judiciary to take steps to unravel the truth of this matter and to take disciplinary action if this proves to be true. This is exactly what was done in investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ corruption exposure against some judges a few years ago.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, the difficulty however with this is that the investigations would concern the chief judge who is the subject of the allegations of corruption in this case and to whom the disciplinary authority against the judicial officers is vested in under Article 18 of the Law on Judicial Service. . Therefore, good governance requires the Chief Justice to step aside while the Judicial Service is investigating the issue of alleged misconduct on his part as a Supreme Court judge. The Chief Justice cannot be a judge in his own case and therefore cannot constitute a committee to investigate allegations of misconduct against himself.
Additionally, we believe that due to the considerable public interest involved in this case, another effective and transparent approach in the circumstances would be a full-fledged public inquiry. This can be done by invoking Article 278 of the 1992 Constitution under which the Parliament can, by a resolution, oblige the President to establish a committee of inquiry to examine the matters in question in a transparent manner and to take a decision thereon. loyal.
Friends, we are now faced with a very risky situation, where it is the word of lawyer Akwasi Afrifa on the one hand against the word of the Chief Justice and the Chief who allegedly paid the bribe in question. somewhere else. As I have explained before, this issue has dire consequences for the reputation not only of the judiciary, but also of our revered chiefdom institution and the country as a whole. The question is, which of the three should we believe as a country? Who is telling us the truth? Is it the Chief Justice and Nana Ogyeedom or is it lawyer Kwasi Afrifa? We believe that only credible and transparent investigations can establish the truth of this matter. And we believe that the transparent approach to a public inquiry is the best way to go. This approach, in our view, is in the best interests of the accused Chief Justice and his accuser.
Conversely, the CHRAJ, which has an enviable reputation for investigating similar cases of alleged corruption against senior state and government officials, would be better placed to conduct such a serious investigation.
We also disagree with the referral of these allegations to the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council by the Chief Justice, for the sole reason that it is an emanation of a body chaired by the person at the center of these allegations, the Chief Justice. The likelihood of an impartial and balanced investigation on their part into this matter would be minimal as long as the Chief Justice remains in office. We therefore believe that the GLC should keep its hands on this matter pending the final decision of the matter by independent state organizations with the requisite authority to do so.
Best practice would require the Chief Justice to step down temporarily until the issues are considered and a clear result emerges and we believe this body calls for such action.
Friends of the media, in making these appeals, we are guided by the supreme interest of governance and the preservation of the image of critical state institutions such as the judiciary and its leaders in particular the Chief Justice. There should be no doubt about its integrity and credibility and it is absolutely imperative that everything be done to guarantee it.
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