Posted by BY J E SOLOMON
This blog has been unusually inactive for quite some time this year. Only one article up to this time of the year and that has never happened in the seven years since the website was created. A shift of interest primarily directed toward a different passion literally hijacked my mind and heart.
I’m writing the first article since March this year and it’s all because of current developments going on in my motherland, Ghana, a country whose judiciary system is fraught with massive bribery and corruption of outrageous magnitude. The biggest bribery scandal ever in the history of Ghana has been exposed.
An investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, operating as an undercover whistleblower, recently exposed 32 judges who allegedly received bribes in order to subvert justice. The high-profile judges were said to have been captured on either video or audio collecting bribes. Some of them are reported to be making efforts to prevent the upcoming premiering of the video that contains the collection of bribes.
The scandal has rocked the country and some of the affected judges are reported to have denied any involvement. Others are said to have hurriedly tendered in their resignation letters which the Judicial Council and the Chief Justice have rejected. They’re also reported to have filed writs against the journalist, Anas. Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Department has granted the audacious whistleblower immunity under the Whistleblower Laws and Regulations Guarantee for protection. Interestingly, there’re efforts by some people opposed to Anas’ protection rights to get the Attorney General to withdraw the immunity so as to bring the journalist before court.
An exposition of who a whistleblower is, what limitations and he has or doesn’t have, and the likely consequences of a whistleblower’s actions is available in this link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistleblower.
In the light of such gross unethical conducts among the nation’s top judges and judicial officers, it’s gratifying to know that 12 other high-profile judges were found to be without blemish. They couldn’t be corrupted. This article was inspired by an article on one of the clean judges, Justice Dodoo. It was written by Albert Salia, a journalist of the DAILY GRAPHIC and is available below.
The 12 incorruptible judges are Justices Kwasi Boakye, Bright Mensah, Constance Hometowu, Georina Mensah-Datsa, Jennifer Dodoo and Afia Serwaah Asare Botwey. The rest are Justices Anthony Opong, Felicia Ganredze, Charles Antwi, Samuel Djanie Kotey, Abdul Baki Absulai and Bright Ajosagi.
With the legal efforts being made by the affected judges as well as indicted circuit court judges to have the undercover journalist’s immunity protection withdrawn, there’s growing fear that the sacrifices of this patriotic citizen of mother Ghana may all come to naught and eventually Anas may have to go to court.
If that happens, Anas could face reprisal from those he has accused of alleged wrongdoing and he may have to deal with social stigma. Fact is, some journalists are arguing that his modus operandi in getting information is professionally unethical.
I pray that all right-thinking Ghanaians will rise up in support of Anas Aremeyaw Anas. This is certainly not a guy Ghanaians should sit down and watch to be subjected to legal battles or led to jail under any criminal or civil suit. That will be very unfortunate. Lord, have mercy on him.
Check this link for Albert K. Salia’s article.
http://marshallan.org/sis-justice-jennifer-amanda-dodoo-the-marshallan-who-refused-to-be-bribed/.