Ajet-Nassam dribbles disciplinary committee again
One of the implicated judges in the judicial bribery scandal, Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam, yesterday, for the third time, failed to show up before the Disciplinary Committee set up to investigate the matter.
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The first two occasions he failed to appear were Monday, October 19, 2015 and Tuesday, October 20, 2015.
Following from that, the committee caused a public notice to be published in the Tuesday, October 22, 2015 edition of the Daily Graphic, requesting him to appear before the committee Thursday.
But information gathered by the Daily Graphic indicated that neither Mr Justice Ajet-Nasam nor his lawyer was present at the committee.
Hearing goes on
The paper also learnt that the ace undercover investigator, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, was present at the committee.
Sources at the committee disclosed that the committee proceeded to watch the video showing Mr Justice Ajet-Nasam allegedly taking bribes on different occasions to subvert justice.
Anas also answered questions posed by the committee after it became clear that MrJustice Ajet-Nasam and his lawyer would not show up.
The “chase”
Information reaching the Daily Graphic indicates that Mr Justice Ajet-Nasam is hiding in Nigeria, the United Kingdom or the United States of America.
National Security has mounted an intensive search for him.
He is also reported to have failed to show up at the Police Headquarters where he and the other High Court judges implicated in the scandal had been invited for investigations.
It would be recalled that Mr Justice Ajet-Nasam was the judge who, on March 12, 2015, had set free Alfred Agbesi Woyome, the businessman accused of making fraudulent claims and defrauding the state of GH¢51.2 million.
Substituted service
The Disciplinary Committee was compelled to issue a substituted service via the media on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 on the judge, given his persistent failure to appear before it.
The hearing notice, signed by the secretary to the committee, was to notify Mr Justice Ajet-Nasam to appear before it on Thursday, October 22, 2015 after a prima facie case had been established against him.
“You are hereby notified that following the prima facie case established against you on allegation of misconduct for: Ex parte discussions with one party on a case pending before you, contrary to Rule 3 (7) and 4 (A) of the (CCJMG); Bribery and corruption, contrary to S. 244 of the Criminal Offences Act and Rule (2) of the (CCJMG).
“And the establishment of the committee to investigate the alleged misconduct, you are to appear before the said committee on Thursday, October 22, 2015 when this matter will come on for hearing at the Conference Room of the Administration Block, Judicial Service, Accra, at 10 a.m,” the notice stated.
It, however, warned the judge to take note that “the committee will proceed on its work if you fail to appear on the said date”.
The notice added that the judge was entitled to call witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer.
Justices F. Opoku, Ernest Obimpeh, Ohene Essel, Ayisi Addo, K. Essel-Mensah and Ivy Heward-Mills are the other High Court judges expected to appear before the committee.
Retired Justices Yaw Ansu-Gyeabour and Mohammed Ahmed Mustapha, who were caught on the video but are currently on retirement, are also being investigated by the police.
Timelines
The judges are anticipated to report to the committee from October 19 to December 11, 2015.
Each of them has been given five days and 30 hours to prove his or her innocence.
They are also to cross-examine Anas, whose Tiger Eye PI team uncovered the biggest scandal to hit the Judiciary.
Thirty-four judges and magistrates, 146 members of staff of the Judicial Service, as well as policemen and state attorneys, were captured on a 500-hour video allegedly taking bribes to subvert justice.
