The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) claims it doesn’t trust the police’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to properly probe the bribery accusation against Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, which is worth $5 million.
The opposition is based on a number of instances probed by the agency in the past four years involving senior public officials, according to the party.
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the NDC’s General Secretary, told the media that a CID probe, as sought by the Chief Justice, would be useless.
“We are of the considered opinion that the Police CID’s recent history of investigations into allegations against high-ranking officials of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government would not provide the level of confidence that is required in an investigation such as this, given the elevated position of the person against whom these allegations have been made.”
“We recall how corruption cases like the Australia Visa fraud scandal, the Galamsey fraud scandal, the 500 missing excavators scandal, just to mention a few, ended in clear cover-ups when handled by the Police CID. The magnitude and gravity of this matter calls for utmost transparency and confidence-building which the CID cannot muster at the moment”, he added.
The party also wants the Chief Justice to take a temporary leave of absence to enable for an investigation into the $5 million bribery accusation leveled against him.
At a news conference on Tuesday, July 13th, 2021, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah stated that this would allow for a fair investigation into accusations of impropriety made against the Chief Justice.
Given that the Chief Justice has been endowed with the authority to punish judicial officials, his request is based on his strong conviction that the Judicial Service’s investigation into the alleged wrongdoing may be tainted.
The NDC has asked for a public investigation into the bribery allegations, claiming that this is the best way to find out the truth.
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The Chief Justice has rejected the accusations and asked the Director-General of the Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to look into the issue.
The accusations were made in a statement given by Mr. Akwasi Afrifa, a lawyer, in response to a petition filed against him by his client before the General Legal Council’s disciplinary committee.
Mr. Afrifa’s client, Ogyeedom IV, took him to the GLC, claiming that the lawyer took $100,000 from him with the hope of obtaining a favorable judgment on his side.
Mr. Afrifa failed to deliver on his commitment, according to Ogyeedom Atta IV, who requested the council to compel him to return the $100,000.
Mr. Afrifa disputed Ogyeedom Kwesi Atta IV’s allegations in a July 8, 2021 letter, claiming that he was requested to return $300,000 in legal costs to allow his client to raise a $5 million bribe to be given to the Chief Justice in order to obtain a favorable result in the legal issue.
Source: ALTFMNEWSROOM
