Chief Justice should reject resignation of culpable Judges – Lawyer

A legal practitioner, Dr Maurice Ampaw, has urged Chief Justice (C.J), Georgina Theodora Woode, not to accept any resignation from “complicit” High Court Judges for now, in the wake of an exposé that has uncovered massive corruption involving some high profile Judges.

He says it’s important that the C.J rejects resignations until a thorough investigation is conducted by the Judicial Council to establish the complicity or otherwise of some judges who have been captured on tape allegedly accepting bribes in order to compromise criminal cases they presided on.

There are reports that some of the said Judges have already tendered in their resignation.

There is uneasy calm in Ghana’s Judiciary as thirty-four judges are to be sacked following an exposé that established their alleged complicity in a massive corruption scandal.

The senior judges including, High Court Judge Charles Quist, Kofi Essel Mensah and Ajet Nassam have been captured on tape in discussions with suspects or assigns of suspects on how to compromise the cases before the Judges' respective courts.

The over six months thorough investigation by world-class investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas is said to be the “biggest scandal ever to hit Ghana’s judicial service.” Anas has served notice the video and other hardcore evidence will shake the “democratic foundation of Ghana.”

The incriminatory video shows money changing hands as one could hear the judges including, a Human Rights Court judge, Charles Quist (a High Court Judge) allegedly making demands to throw away cases which include robbery, murder and corruption among others.

“What if I release him (armed robbery suspect) on Friday, and I don’t see you again?” Quist was heard on tape allegedly quizzing someone.

“Oh I will get him off. I will get him off the hook on Friday, but everything will depend on you,” he stressed in the conversation”.

But speaking on Okay FM, Lawyer Ampaw stated that he is not the least surprised by the alleged bribery scandal that has hit the Judiciary, as majority of the public has widely held the believe that the Judiciary is laden with unrivaled corruption.

“I’m not really shocked by this news, whenever I see this Judge….. Ajet Nassam, who has been mentioned in the scandal, I marvel at his flamboyant lifestyle, the flashy car he drives, the gold chains around his neck and bracelet, I tell myself this Judge is fabulously rich. You know how much the Judges earn, and you look at the lifestyle of some of them that leaves you thinking how they make their money”.

He added that the Chief Justice should ensure that there is a massive house cleaning exercise in the Judiciary to rid it of such corrupt Judges.