3 Anas Judges Sacked! – Prez Orders CID To Act On CJ C’tee Report

The president has dismissed three more judges implicated in the judicial bribery and corruption scandal that hit the Ghana’s judiciary in 2015.

This follows the recommendation of the Committee established by the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo to investigate allegations of bribery and corruption brought against them by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

The three High Court judges are Justices Paul Uter Dery, Mustapha Habib Logoh and Ayisi Addo.

The three judges, in addition to Justice Charles Quist, were initially suspended in May this year.

They were among some 22 High and Lower Court judges captured by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in audio and video recordings in 2015, showing them collecting bribes from litigants to pervert the course of justice.

The judges and some of their colleagues were caught on video receiving bribes, including cash, live goats and foodstuffs from people whose cases were before them.

The alleged bribes were facilitated by some court officials.

Incensed by their removal, the trio filed a case at the Supreme Court and followed up with an action at the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.

The three subsequently filed a fresh suit at the ECOWAS Court on March 29 over their suspension from the Judicial Service, pending their likely removal from office as high court Judges.

But a statement issued and signed by Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at the presidency said the president has fired the three judges.

“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has, by letter dated Thursday, 6th December, 2018, removed Mr. Justice Ayisi Addo, Mr. Justice Uuter Paul Dery, and Mr. Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh, from office as Justices of the High Court.”

According to the letter, this was after the Committee established by the Chief Justice, pursuant to Article 146(4) of the Constitution, to investigate a complaint lodged against the three judges by Mr.recommended their removal from office.

The statement continued: “The President, in accordance with the provisions of Article 146(9) of the Constitution, has acted on the recommendations of the Committee, as the Constitution enjoins him to do, and has, accordingly, removed the three Justices of the High Court from office on the grounds of bribery and corruption.”

The statement noted that the Committee concluded that the conduct of the Justices amounted to a criminal offence under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, (Act 29) (as amended).

“President Akufo-Addo has, thus, directed that a copy of the Committee’s report be submitted to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for the requisite action to be taken” it added.

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson