No judge discharged in corruption scandal - CJ

The Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood has denied media reports that three of the judges being investigated in a corruption scandal have been discharged.

On Friday afternoon, it was widely reported that Justices Kaakyire Atta Owusu, Frank Ashitey Addo and Kofi Ahiabor Addi have been acquitted and discharged by the 5-member committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate the issue.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Judicial Secretary Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong said: “The Chief Justice would like to state that it is not correct that three of the 22 judges have been discharged.

“There was a case of mistaken identity in respect of H/W Frank Addo Ashitey, a Magistrate at Prestea. The actual person involved is H/W Frank Kingsley Oppong, a Magistrate at Kasoa. This error was corrected by Tigereyepi in a subsequent letter before the Disciplinary Committee started its proceedings on 10th September, 2015.

“The Chief Justice and the Judicial Council wish to assure the general public that appropriate steps have been taken to keep the courts of the suspended Judges and Magistrates running. Thus, the courts will operate normally throughout the country.“

A total of 34 judges are facing impeachment as the video evidence of their corrupt practices expected to be aired on September 22, entangles them in the damning corruption scandal.

One of the high profile judges, Justice John Ajet-Nassam, a High Court Judge, who freed Alfred Agbesi Woyome in the controversial Gh¢51 million judgment debt scandal was videotaped and audio recorded in separate conversations with suspects or persons acting as agents of suspects before him to compromise big cases.

Other judges are Human Rights Court judge Kofi Essel Mensah and Charles Quist; a High Court Judge.

The over two years painstaking investigations by ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas will be released in full in the coming weeks, ahead of a premiere at the Accra International Conference Centre.