Francis-Xavier Sosu, Madina MP
• MP for Madina is calling on the Chief Justice to step aside or resign
• According to Francis-Xavier Sosu the move will help boost trust in the judiciary
• The call is connected to a $5million bribery alegation against the CJ
Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu has called on Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah to step aside to allow for a probe into a US$5million bribery allegation leveled against him.
According to the lawmaker, doing so has become imperative due to the sensitive nature of the institution he heads.
He made the submission in a Facebook post before repeating same on a local radio station on Monday, July 12: “The position of Chief Justice is one of trust and a very honourable position that must not in any way be undermined. The CJ stands for justice, fairness and it is based on his actions that all judges take inspiration.
“If you go to the Supreme Court, he is the head, so if a huge matter as this and it is not coming from just anyone but a lawyer who claims his client made those pronouncements, then there is the need for a probe.
“And if this probe must take place, if the accused remains in his role, the probe become untenable… that is why we need to take the issue seriously and to investigate and bring finality,” he submitted.
He indicated, there are several anti-corruption institutions that have the mandate and capacity to look into the issue citing among others the Office of the Special Prosecutor and CHRAJ.
“This is why we have Office of the Special Prosecutor, this is why there is EOCO and CHRAJ, all of them are anti-corruption agencies that must take this matter very seriously,” he added.
Chief Justice calls for CID probe
The Chief Justice on Monday, July 12, officially wrote to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service to investigate the allegation of bribery made against him.
A private legal practitioner, one Kwasi Afrifa in response to a petition filed against him by a client alleged that the said client had told him about a US$5million bribe request from the CJ in a case he was presiding over.
“He further informed me that the Chief Justice had demanded a bribe of US$5,000,000 for a successful outcome to his case and that he had already paid US$500,000 to the Chief Justice,” lawyer Afrifa alleged in response to his client’s petition. The client has since denied this claim in a statement.
In his letter through the Judicial Service to the police CID, the CJ denied having anything to do with the potentially criminal matter and denied taking money to influence any decision.
“His Lordship the Chief Justice is saddened that without any shred of evidence, his name has been dragged into this sordid and potentially criminal matter.
“His Lordship further asserts that he has not demanded or received any money from any person to influence any decision,” the letter said.