Youth Against State Organized Fraud and Injustice (YASOFI) has commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for taking steps to remove the judges who have tainted their hands and soiled their image in bribery and corruption in the discharge of their duties.
The High Court Judges, Mr. Justice Ayisi Addo, Mr. Justice Uuter Paul Dery, and Mr. Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh, as Ghanaians would recall, were caught on video in one of Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ investigations in 2015.
YASOFI at its first Press Conference, called on the Judicial Council and the Chief Justice to trigger processes that would lead to a review of all cases presided over by judges who were caught by Anas Aremeyaw Anas accepting bribes, to circumvent the course of justice in the discharge of their duties.
YASOFI also recommended that the disgraced judges be made to face the law whilst calling for a panel of respected judges to be constituted at the behest of the Chief Justice to review all such cases presided over by those judges.
It was obvious considering the details of the said video, the judges were captured pants down haggling the price of their judgment in favour of criminals who had committed heinous crimes including murder.
Their relaxed, composed and calm demeanor, mannerism and posturing in the video is indicative of a practice that is routine and that had endured over time.
For YASOFI, the people of Ghana cannot begin to imagine the inacceptable degree of harm that those money- induced judgments may have caused, and that lives may have been destroyed forever, relationships severed into smithereens, marriages and families destroyed and children suddenly thrust into an uncertain future as a consequence of the judges.
We commend the President for sacking these justices of the high court who were part of over 30 judges caught taking bribes to warp justice in an undercover investigation done by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in 2015.
We also commend the committee that was established by the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, pursuant to Article 146 (4) of the Constitution, to investigate a complaint lodged against the three judges.
The committee to us, has done a great job and recommended the removal of those judges from post.
This will save our judiciary and protect the image of our democracy.
Indeed, there may be other judges who may be involved in bribery and corruption at the detriment of the poor and innocent.
Government should therefore not renege in its watch role over the activities of the Judiciary, but continue to ensure that justice is equally served by the people who are entrusted with the power to superintend over cases in our Courts.
Although we appreciate the steps taken by the President in that regard, YOSAFI would like to still appeal for a panel of respected judges to be constituted at the behest of the Chief Justice to review all cases that have gone through the hands of those judges. In so doing, we will be seen to be fair to all parties whose cases have gone through the Courts.
This will also clear doubts surrounding the outcomes of cases which were handled by the judges.
Long Live the President,
Long Live YASOFI
Long Live Ghana.
