Three of the judges who were implicated in the Anas corruption expose’ at the Judicial Service have been cleared of any wrong doing.
[contextly_sidebar id=”SbiiZZPwYwRYA149S1oG45zwApuXp4Wu”]They are Frank Ashietey Addo, Kaakyire Atta Owusu and Kofi Ahiabor.
Frank Ashietey who is a Magistrate in Prestea was accused of taking 200 cedis at Kasoa for a case involving the republic versus one Torgbor.
But reports indicate he was not the person who took the money in the video.
Ashietey is asking for an apology letter from the plaintiff, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The other two, Kaakyire Atta Owusu and Kofi Ahiabor were cleared because they had not sat on the said cases mentioned by the journalist.
Indicted judges sue Judicial Council
Meanwhile other judges implicated in the video have resorted to the Fast Track Court to challenge the processes leading to their suspension.
14 out of the 22 accused judges, in their writ said their “suspension is in bad faith” and that it should be declared “null and void.”
6 of them are Circuit Court judges while the rest are District Magistrates. According to them, the letter from the Judicial Council which asked them to respond to Anas’ video, was dated 4th September, 2015, but was only delivered to them on 8th September.
They said letter asked them to respond to the allegations in the video, also on 8th September, the same day the letter was delivered to them.
They argue that they were not given ample time to respond to the said allegations by the journalist while the Council proceeded to with the suspension.
“Plaintiffs contend that in so far as the penalty attached to the misconduct alleged against them depended on whether the proceedings were summary or formal, plaintiffs were entitled to be informed of the nature of the proceedings against them.”
In their writ, the 14 judges also argued that the investigative committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate the corruption allegations against them, does not have the locus to do so.
“… In so far as the power to conduct disciplinary proceedings against the plaintiffs is by law vested in a judge of the High Court or some judicial officer appointed for the purpose by the Chief Justice, the current disciplinary committee is bereft of jurisdiction to investigate the plaintiffs.”
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By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana