Eleven out of 20 names have emerged as judges who rejected bribes from ace Ghanaian investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, to influence cases before their courts.
The 20 judges, whose names have been submitted to the Chief Justice for commendation, were said to have rejected bribe in various sums from Anas whose latest investigation into Ghana’s judiciary has revealed scandalous corruption.
They are High Court judges Justice Kwesi Boakye, Justice Bright Mensah, Justice Constance Hometorwu, Justice Georgina Mensah-Datsah, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare, and Justice Anthony Oppong.
The rest are District Court judges Mr. Charles Kwesi Acheamping, Mr. Samuel Quartey, Mr. Abdul Abullai, Mr. Bright Ajosagi and one Ms. Felicia at the Abeka District Court in Accra.
In the latest investigation piece yet to be premiered in Accra, thirty-four judges at the country’s High Courts, the Circuit and District courts were captured on camera taking bribes from litigants whose cases come before them.
The three-hour edited video, which is the result of a two-year painstaking investigation into the judiciary by the award-winning investigative journalist, also exposes some of the judges in a sex scandal.
Anas has petitioned the President John Dramani Mahama, the Chief Justice and the Attorney General and a process to impeach the judges found in the video to be taking bribes and extorting money from litigant has since Thursday begun in Accra by the Judicial Council
Speaking on an Accra-based radio station Joy FM on Saturday, Editor of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako, said the 20 judges not only rejected the bribes but also threatened to jail the investigator for coming to discuss cases with them.
In his letter to the Chief Justice Georgina Wood, Anas described the 20 judges as “morally upright” whose action he indicated, “made me know that justice had no price”
Read the full letter submitted to the Chief Justice by Anas
“After having submitted a petition to your high office in respect of corrupt judges, I deem it a great honour to submit some of the good and morally upright judges that I had the honour of coming across.
In the course of my investigations into perceived corruption in the judiciary, I found judges who were ready to uphold their oaths and perform the duties of their office without fear or favour. These judges were more than ready to put me behind prison bars for even coming in to speak to them about the case.
Others will not permit you to come and bribe them and their clerks will tell you that very clearly. Anytime that happened, I left the court premises with a sense of joy and hope. They made me know that justice had no price. There is indeed hope for Ghana.
Generally, most of the new circuit and district court judges were determined to do their work without compromise. It was their determination and courage to do the right thing that motivated me everyday. We as a people must not fail them, we must do all we can to keep them on the right path.”
Source: 3news.com |Ghana By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Follow @steviekgh