CJ rejects new Wassa court building

Chief Justice Her Ladyship Sophia Akuffo has refused to accept the usage of the newly refurbished magistrate court in the Wasa East District Assembly.

According to her, the structure is too open and below the requisite court standards, adding that it was too open and lacked confidentiality.

The Chief Justice was on a 6-day tour of the Region as part of a nationwide tour to get first-hand issues concerning the county’s justice delivery process.

Empire FM’s Nana Adwoa Hagan who was on site reported that the building was constructed somewhere last year, and according to the DCE of the area, he inherited the court building and subsequently refurbished it as sittings were previously held at the assembly’s chamber.

The Chief Justice urged that the structure be converted into a library or another meaningful purpose that they deem fit.

The DCE for the area who expressed disappointment with the happenings said “you see this one was built quite recently, we inherited it. When we came it was in bad state but we renovated it and then furnished it and we thought that it’s one of the best court houses in Ghana. So when she was coming I was expecting her to say “your place is better than the High court.”

“She says structurally the offices are too exposed. All these comments have been taken into consideration. For now we will leave it for the police to use and hopefully by February we will mobilize funds to reconstruct a modern court,” he said.

He added: “you know the way the assembly system works, I need to go back to the house and table it. The security committee will pass it and then we can begin to start a process to build a new one. But as it is I couldn’t stand there and promise that I’m going to build a new court house, I have to take it through the processes. The police have taken it already the police have seized it already, so it will go to the police.”