Chief Justice Fights Judicial Corruption

Her Lordship Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood has pledged to use all within her power to fight corruption within the country’s judicial system to consolidate judicial integrity and accountability.

She stated that the MENACE of corruption and the perception of its widespread in the judiciary as the lead institution of justice delivery in Ghana had threatened the values of transparency and equal justice.

She added that in COMBATING the problem, her outfit had established and was operating a PUBLIC COMPLAINTS AND COURTS INSPECTORATE UNIT designed to act as a feed of public dissatisfaction with the work of the judiciary.

According to the Chief Justice, the Co-operation of the public in dealing with the menace remained indispensable in that the allegation of corruption in the judicial service was formented, promoted and sustained by the PUBLIC who turn round to complain.

In many cases, according to the CJ, these allegations are motivated by suspicious acts of corruption by the staff or officers of the service. But on the other hand, a significant part of these allegations are either motivated by ILL-WILL which are in many cases over exaggerated.

Time and again, she stated that she had received complaints on alleged corruption scandal, but whenever she asked them for evidence so that she could proceed against the alleged culprit, the complainants FIZZLE INTO THIN AIR. Her ladyship was addressing the 7th Chief Justice Forum in Takoradi on 12th November, 2008 which was on the theme: “Access to Justice” Consolidating Judicial Accountability and Integrity.

It was attended by BOTH the BAR and the BENCH in the Western Region as well as personnel of the security services, the clergy, chiefs and queen mothers as well as the general public. On Friday 14th November, 2008, the “Daily Guide” published the speech of the Chief Justice on page 9 of that day’s edition.

Now, if what the Chief Justice stated in 2008, is anything to go by, then Dr. Kwabena Agyei, the National Chairman of the NDC is 100% RIGHT when he boldly told the Chief Justice that if she is UNABLE to clean the judiciary of BIAS and CORRUPT judges, the PARTY WILL CLEAN IT FOR HER. Why should all, HELL BREAK LOOSE in this country because of that speech. Are the opposition court politicians in the NPP telling Ghanaians that it is now a crime to fight crime in Ghana or what? We were all in this country when the late Chief Justice Wiredu stated that court files could even VANISH in the courts and can never be traced and civil and criminal cases could drag on in court between 10 years and 25 years and some litigants even die whilst prisoners could spend between 2 years to 18 years on remand alone without their cases being heard by the courts and most of these suspects are always petty cassava and plantain thieves, as well as assault cases and alleged suspected criminals arrested innocently in police swoops in the slums of Nima, Chorkor, Ashaiman, Agblogloshie, Frafraha, Konkomba Market and the Kwame Nkrumah Circle all in Accra whilst Big Time Pen Robbers including former Ministers, Bankers and Senior Public Officials steal Billions of Ghana Cedis with impurity and no one can investigate and arrest them, how sad!

A HARMLESS CRY FOR THE CHIEF JUSTICE TO CLEANSE THE JUDICIARY Dr. Kwabena Agyei has NOT stirred the Hornest’s nest by threatening to clean the Judiciary of perceived bias against the government if the Chief Justice did not clean the judiciary of bias. The Chief Justice is too beautiful and TOO SHY. What Dr. Kwabena Agyei is saying is that the NDC government has Thousands of ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADERS and no nonsense objective patriots that can easily clean the judiciary without Fear or Favour for sanity to prevail.

The Chief Justice is a card bearing member of the NPP and she showed her true party colours during the 2008 General Election. Therefore, Dr. Kwabena Agyei rather deserves a PAT and NOT condemnation. Since the NDC is heir to June 4, the party can deal with corrupt and bias judges in a manner determined by the undying spirit of June 4 and the 31st December Revolutions to the delight of millions of ordinary Ghanaians who cherish JUSTICE more than WEALTH in this country, so the National Chairman of the NDC did nothing wrong at all. So the NPP and the Judiciary must not cry wolf and panic all over the place.

We all agree with our No Nonsense Chairman of the NDC that the judiciary should be cleaned with a Democratic Broom, if they resist the clean up, then we will then apply the Revolutionary Broom and clear the mess in the judiciary without fear or favour. These are not my words but I sincerely believe it is the stubborn Truth which the vicious members of the NPP love to hate, but I don’t care a fig at all.

Aluta Continua

Clement Sangaparee United Cadres Front C/O Box 32, Obuasi E-mail: clementsang@yahoo.com

Distribution All Media Houses Accra