Mahama sacks judge Ivy Heward Mills

A High Court judge Ivy Heward Mills has been sacked by President John Mahama for taking bribe in the infamous Judicial corruption scandal which hit Ghana last year.

According to the first deputy Judicial Secretary Justice Juliana Amonoo-Neizer, the respected judge was “found culpable” in the scandal uncovered by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas of Tigereyepi.

The Judicial Service has directed the Director of Human Resource to “delete her name from the payroll of the Judicial Service with effect from June 20, 2016.”

The decision to remove her from office follows a recommendation by the “committee set up by the Hon. Lady Chief Justice [Georgina Wood] to investigate a petition from Anas Aremeyaw Anas of Tigereyepi for same on grounds of Stated Misbehaviour.”

The statement said: “The Committee after its investigations into the petition by Anas Aremeyaw Anas of Tigereyepi found that Justice Ivy Heward Mills 1) Contrary to rules 3 (7) and 4 (A) of the Code of Conduct for Judges and Magistrates did not only engage in ex-parte communications on the suit, Nana Kofi Annan & Or. Vs John Kojo Bobbie which was pending before her but also advised the defendants in the suit on the best approach to defend the case against the plaintiff.

“2. While denying that she did not accept any amount of money from the petitioner’s team mates in her chambers, this may be accepted, but her explanation that, what the petitioner’s team mate gave her in her car at the Aggrey Memorial School Junction was an invitation card to a social event was unacceptable.

“3. Rather, it was money she accepted to influence her ruling in accordance with agreement reached as a result of discussion held with the petitioner’s team mate.”

She has therefore been asked to “hand over her bungalow and all official properties in her possession including her official government vehicle, dockets and record books to the Judicial secretary.”

Over 20 judges have been sacked in connection with the corruption scandal.