Lawyer and broadcaster, Samson Lardi Anyenini, has expressed shock that the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability’s (ASEPA) petition demanding the removal of Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah got so much attention.
In a post on Facebook, he felt the constitutional provision for impeachment in Article 146 was being sullied by being invoked because of a $5 million dollar bribe the Chief Justice was alleged to have received.
“If article 146 impeachment were to be reduced to such a joke, which liable office-holder will have any space to work? All anybody needed to do will be to file a petition based on nothing but rumour and hearsay without supplying a scintilla of evidence in support,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo dismissed the petition saying it was based on “third hand and fourth hand hearsay”.
ASEPA also petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to probe the Chief Justice, but the Commission declined the request because it said ASEPA had already petitioned the presidency on the matter.
The allegations against the Chief Justice were contained in the response of a lawyer, Akwasi Afrifa, to a petition filed against him by his client at the disciplinary committee of the General Legal Council (GLC).
The client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI, dragged Mr. Afrifa to the GLC alleging that the lawyer collected $100,000 from him with a promise to help get a favourable judgement on his behalf.
Ogyeedom Atta IV asked the GLC to order Mr. Afrifa to refund the $100,000, saying the lawyer failed to deliver on his promise
In a response dated July 8, Mr. Afrifa denied the claims by Ogyeedom Kwesi Atta VI, further alleging that he was asked to refund $300,000 in legal fees to enable his client to raise a $5million bribe to be paid to the Chief Justice to get a favourable decision in the legal dispute.
The Chief Justice denied the allegations and also petitioned the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to investigate the matter.
Find below Samson Lardi Anyenini’s full post
Pray – I have just done a quick read through a 12-page (+cover letter) prima facie determination on the petition for removal of the CJ. It supports my prediction and professional expectation. But I am sincerely shocked it got this much attention – 12-pages?! If article 146 impeachment were to be reduced to such a joke, which liable office-holder will have any space to work? All anybody needed to do will be to file a petition based on nothing but rumour and hearsay, without supplying a scintilla of evidence in support. Put yourself in that place where someone simply throws words on paper accusing you of misconduct or crime, and that is the only basis for you to be put on trial. You may google up my article on the article 146 process.
