The National Democratic Congress has called on the Chief Justice, Annim Yeboah to step aside while investigations are conducted into his alleged involvement of $5 million bribery scandal.
Chief Justice Annim Yeboah has however denied ever demanding or receiving any bribe from Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta IV, a plaintiff in the case .
This comes after a lawyer, Mr. Kwesi Afrifa, said that Ogyeedom told him that the Chief Justice requested a $5 million bribe to help him secure a good verdict in court. As a result, the Chief Justice has ordered a police CID investigation into the matter.
Reacting to the development, General secretary of the NDC, General Johnson Asiedu Nketia said, “the allegations made against the chief justice are very brief and rock the very foundations of our judiciary which is an indispensable and independent arm of government.
Any suggestion that the head of such an institution has sought to compromise his office to undermine the integrity or judgements made by the court warrants the most serious terms.”
He continued, “this is because any doubt harbored over the integrity over the judiciary and its leadership has the potential to completely erode public confidence in the administration of justice in Ghana and our governance institution as a whole.”
“In this regard and without taking sides or commenting on the merits or otherwise of the said allegations of bribery against His Lordship, the Chief Justice, we believe that an investigation by the CID would be woefully adequate to ensure the Ghanaian public that a thorough inquiry has been conducted into the matter.”
Mr. Asiedu Nketia ended by saying, “We are of the considered view that the recent history of the police CID with respect to investigations into allegations against high ranking officials of the Akufo-Addo government would not afford the sort of confidence that must be engendered in an investigation such as this considering the delegated position of the person against whom these allegations have been made.”
