Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah
The main opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) has kicked against the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service handling of investigations into a $5 million bribery allegation against the Chief Justice.
Addressing a presser Tuesday, July 13, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia said CHRAJ rather has the capacity and better placed to conduct such a serious inquiry than the police CID which Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah had referred the case to.
“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/Bawumia government would not afford the sort of confidence that must be engendered in an investigation such as this considering the elevated position of the person against whom these allegations have been made.”
For him, the Police CID’s probe cannot be trusted following the massive cover-ups in related investigations in the past.
“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,” he stated, adding that “the magnitude and gravity of this matter calls for utmost transparency and confidence-building which the CID cannot muster at the moment.”
The Chief Justice has refuted the allegation by a lawyer, Mr. Akwasi Afrifa that he, the Chief Justice demanded a $5 million bribe to influence a case currently before the Supreme Court.
He has subsequently requested the CID to investigate the allegations.
But Mr. Asiedu Nketia, however, suggested that it would be ideal if the matter is investigated through the setting up of a public enquiry by the President.
“We think that due to the considerable public interest involved in this matter, another effective and transparent approach in the circumstance would be a full-blown public inquiry,” he noted.
“This can be done by invoking Article 278 of the 1992 Constitution under which Parliament can by a resolution compel the President to set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into the matters at hand in a transparent manner and make a faithful determination thereof,” he added.