‘Corrupt Judges' must face full rigours of the law – Clergy

Any of the 34 embattled Judges, who may be found guilty of corruption, by the Judicial Council, which is investigating video evidence to that effect, as captured by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, must be punished according to the law, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference has said.

“If the Judicial Council establishes that these judges indeed took bribes, they should be made to face the full rigours of the law,” a statement signed by the Conference’s President, Rev Joseph Osei-Bonsu and released on Tuesday said.

The Catholic Bishops said: “We believe in the ability of the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council to resolve the pending issues expeditiously and to carry out the necessary reforms to restore integrity and honour to our judicial system while we pledge to accompany the process with our support and prayers.”

The implicated judges include 22 magistrates of the lower courts and 12 Justices of the High Court.

They were captured in a 500-hour audiovisual footage, either negotiating, or receiving bribes in different circumstances, over different cases, to free criminals.

A documentary of the two-year investigative work is billed to be screened on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 22, and 23, respectively.

One of the Judges, Justice Paul Uuter Dery, earlier filed an application, through which he sought to have the court put an injunction on the screening of the documentary.

His Lawyers, however, withdrew the case on Tuesday, after several failed attempts to serve the writ of summons on Mr Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger PI Company.

This clears the way for the premiering of the video at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).

The video also captured some Judges, who refused to take the bribe.

The Catholic Bishops have lauded such Judges saying: “We wish to commend those judges and magistrates, who were resolute and steadfast in rejecting the offer of bribes and not succumbing to the temptation of lust for money and we hold them as examples and rays of light and hope for all Ghanaians in general and lawyers in particular to emulate.”

“Fortunately, we still have men and women of proven integrity and honour in Ghana and so all hope is not lost in the battle against bribery and corruption,” the Conference said.