Substantiate bribery allegation against the Supreme Court's Judge or retract and apologise - GBA to Muntaka
The Ghana Bar Association (BAR) has called on the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asawase Constituency, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, to substantiate his bribery allegations against a Supreme Court judge or retract same and apologise to the Justices of the Supreme Court and the Judiciary in general.
A statement by the GBA dated January 12, 2021, said the bar finds Muntaka's allegations offensive and distasteful.
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It added that such allegations "Incite hatred among the public with regard to the Judges, expose them to ridicule and put them into disrepute."
For GBA, such allegations of bribery with respect to the Judiciary undermine the integrity of and erode public confidence in the justice delivery process, and may result in lawlessness.
The Asawase legislator is reported to have alleged that a certain Supreme Court Judge attempted to bribe a member of parliament of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to vote for the immediate past Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye against the candidate of the NDC, Mr Alban S.K. Bagbin.
But for the GBA, "Even though the 1992 Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, that freedom should be exercised with circumspection and should not be used to incite hatred or to subject the Judiciary to ridicule and contempt."