CJ begins probe into bribery scandal
Majority of the High Court judges implicated in a bribery scandal came face to face with the Chief Justice and selected members of the Judicial Council at a marathon meeting in Accra Thursday in what is believed to be the beginning of moves to establish a prima facie case against them.
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The meeting, which lasted several hours, was attended by the Chief Justice, the Judicial Secretary and some members of the Judicial Council.
Pieces of information gathered by the Daily Graphic indicated that all the 12 High Court justices implicated in the scandal have tendered in their responses to the queries.
According to sources, the conference room where the meeting took place was filled with anxiety.
The sources were, however, tight-lipped on what transpired at the meeting or which of the affected judges was present or absent.
A Supreme Court judge has been appointed to gather evidence and establish a prima facie case against the affected justices.
The judge will then forward the findings to the Judicial Council, after which the President will be expected to order impeachment proceedings to begin should there be a case against any of the implicated justices.
Interdiction
The Judicial Service has interdicted 22 judges implicated in the bribery scandal that has rocked the Judiciary.
More than 100 members of staff of the Judicial Service, including judges and magistrates, are being investigated, according to the service.
The Daily Graphic has gathered that resignation letters tendered in by some of the implicated justices of the High Court have been turned down.
The judges were captured on video taking money from litigants in what promises to be the biggest scandal ever to hit Ghana’s Judiciary.
Video
A three-hour video detailing the forms the corruption took shows how 34 of the culprits, said to be judges at the High, the Circuit and the District courts, took bribes, including goats.
Some of them have also been linked to sex scandals and extortion in the edited video, emanating from a two-year investigation by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The High Court justices who have been named include Justices John Ajet-Nasam, Charles Quist, Ernest Obimpeh, Kofi Essel Mensah (Human Rights Court), Paul Uuter Dery, Mustapha Habib Logoh and Mrs Ivy Heward-Mills.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has granted immunity from prosecution and any civil action against Anas for his work.
The granting of immunity to Anas is per Section 19 of the Whistle-Blowers’ Act (Act 720), the Daily Graphic has also gathered.
Anas to be invited
Anas is expected to be invited when the need arises to assist in the investigations being conducted by the Judicial Service.