Lawyers of the University of Ghana have written to the Commercial Division of the High Court, raising concerns about the impartiality of presiding judge Justice Francis Obiri in the case between the University and some students of Commonwealth Hall.
Justice Obiri sat on an injunction application brought by the students against the premier University of Ghana.
According to lawyers of the University, Justice Obiri sat on the case without giving the opportunity to the University to cross-examine the witness, Lawrence Edinam Egleh.
Justice Obiri is accused of going ahead to grant the reliefs of the deponent on Thursday, February 9 when the defendants had not even received the application.
According to an affidavit in support of the lawyers of the University of Ghana filed by a Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Godwin Awandare, the trial judge despite officially affiliated to Akuafo Hall while a student in his University days, “was at all material times during his studentship in University of Ghana, resident at Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana and by definition a Vandal”.
“I am further informed that Justice Obiri was the lead assistant of the then Chief Vandal, a very revered office of Vandals, by the alias Chief Korea,” Prof Awandare stated in his affidavit.
“The impartiality of Justice Obiri in these matters in which Vandals are deeply invested cannot be assured.”
The University by the application wants Justice Obiri to recuse himself just like Justice Stephen Oppong, who recused himself because he was an Old Vandal and “wanted to avoid any appearance of bias”.