Dark cloud hangs over Judiciary following Anas exposé — Prez
President John Dramani Mahama has stated that a dark cloud hangs over the Judiciary following revelations of the alleged corruption captured in Anas’ investigative video.
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He explained that although Tiger Eye PI’s work was not the first time allegations of corruption had been made against the Judiciary, the investigations presented for the first time, accusations against specific persons, which were backed by evidence.
Inaugurating the magnificent, new law court complex in Accra Friday, President Mahama said the events had greatly shaken the confidence of the people in the judicial system.
He however added quickly that two things had given him hope that the judiciary could still be trusted to rise to the occasion.
First, he said the array of hope was the fact that majority of the country’s judges had high integrity so the dent that had come over the judiciary could be erased.
Additionally, he said the prompt response of the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council to the allegations against the judges was indicative that “our systems are working.”
Iconic building
The court complex, designed by the project’s consulting firm, Avangarde Designs Services, is in line with the strategic goals of the Judicial Service, which is providing adequate infrastructure for justice delivery, improving efficiency and reducing cost by increasing the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
The iconic building, which sits on 30,000 square metres of land, took four years to construct.
It’s facilities include 42 courtrooms with judges’ suites; four registries, three alternative dispute resolution rooms, a clinic, banking facilities, business centre, and cafeterias for the public, staff and judges.
A disability-friendly complex, the project also has a data centre, 300-seater auditorium, library, executive offices for the Attorney-General and public prosecutors, information centre and a media briefing room.
With the completion of the court complex, the Cocoa Affairs Court, with its dilapidated wooden structures which have bee existed since the 1940s, and which the President described as “representing an environment that was humiliating to our Judiciary,” now belonged to history as all court activities would move into the new complex.
An early morning downpour disrupted the inauguration ceremony and the event had to be moved to the plush auditorium inside the complex.
Predictably, the judicial corruption scandal dominated the event as the two main speakers, President Mahama and the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, devoted the greater part of the addresses to the disturbing issue.
Laughing stock
President Mahama said regrettably judges had become the centre of “jokes in chop bars and restaurants” as result of the Anas’ work
But, he pointed out that the focus of corruption must not be on only judges, stressing that it cut across all segments of the society.
He said the quick response of the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council to the allegation and the referral of the petition by his office, which was acted upon with dispatch, demonstrated the resolve to protect the institution of justice.
Reflection
“This is a moment of deep introspection and sober reflection, “ he said, and called for circumspection in dealing with the matter.
“The Judiciary is a critical arm of government. We cannot afford to lose confidence in it,” he said.
President Mahama assured the Judiciary that the government was solidly behind them in the difficult period and expressed the hope that they would emerge from the episode stronger than before.
Fighting corruption
President Mahama further expressed the determination of the government to fight corruption to the fullest and called for the cooperation of the people in that regard.
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He said the events of the Anas video must establish the convention for the admissibility of video evidence in the fight against corruption.
President Mahama paid tribute to the memory of the late President J.E.A. Mills whose vision led to the start of the project.
He said the governments of presidents Rawlings, Kufuor and Mills, all worked assiduously in building the Judicial Service, adding that the government had also invested heavily in the process.
Chief Justice
Mrs Justice Wood also took pains to drum home the fact that the acts of a few judges in the Anas video had shaken the foundations of the Judiciary but maintained that there were far many honest and hardworking judges in the system.
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“We need to rebuild the broken walls,” she said and commended the President, his Vice and other persons and organisations for standing behind the Judiciary in the trying times.
Mrs Justice Wood said 15 Justices of the Court of Appeal had signed up to undertake additional High Court responsibilities to make up for the shortfall arising from the impeachment procedure against the indicted judges.
She asked Ghanaians to refuse either by themselves or their agents to pervert the course of justice.
She said the revamping of the judicial training institute and other initiatives were all meant to improve the delivery of justice.
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The Lead Consultant of Avangarde Designs Consult, Mr Tony Yeboah-Asare, described the project as one of the best things to happen to the Judicial Service adding that quality work was done on all sections of the project.