Corruption in Judicial service

Recently, there have been calls for an in-depth investigation into perceived corruption in Ghana’s judicial service.

Accordingly, the 200-member Parliament of the West African country has charged its Committee of the Judiciary to undertake the duty of enquiring into such allegations to ascertain their credibility or otherwise.

Also leading the crusade for investigations into the judiciary is “The Insight” a private newspaper.

According to the paper’s report published on its front page, investigations into alleged fraudulent practices in the judicial service have ran against a blockade mounted by senior officials of the service.

“Investigators of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) told The Insight that some senior officials of the Judicial Service are refusing to hand over documents and to answer questions on the 15 per cent retention account.”

The service, according to the paper, has spent approximately ?3 billion from that account on the purchase of two vehicles, the renovation of the official residence of the Chief Justice and printing. “Documents available to The Insight indicate that close to ?1billion was paid to Best Time Press from the 15 per cent retention account.”

Invoices and receipts for that transaction have not been made available to investigators of the Serious Fraud Office, the paper alleges.

There are very strong suspicions that purchases of household items for the official residence of the Chief Justice were also effected from the same account.

SFO sources allege that Mr. George Fodjour, former Acting Financial Controller of the service refused to answer questions on the account claiming that the Chief Justice had told him not to do so.

Mr. Fodjour who was interrogated for several hours refused to answer all questions on the 15 per cent retention account. Fodjour has already been charged with fraud and is on bail.

He is being investigated for double payments amounting to more than ?200 million to Integrated Electrical Systems, the paper alleges, adding, “he has admitted receiving bribes of up to ?16million for officials of the Ministry of Finance.

The investigators also claim that Mr. Lawal Musah, current Acting Financial Controller has also not made available documents on the 15 per cent retention account 15 per cent of all monies generated by the judicial service are paid into this account.

“In a chat with the editor of The Insight, the Chief Justice denied that he is any way opposed to the SFO investigation into the 15 per cent retention account.

He said he would make all the financial records of the service available to the SFO if it is requested for.”

On the other hand, the Executive Director of the SFO told the paper in a telephone discussion with the editor of the Insight that the Chief Justice has asked him to focus on investigations arising out of the report of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on the Judicial Service.

The Committee found that senior personnel of the judicial service awarded huge contracts to their friends and relatives without regard for proper administrative procedures.

It also found cases of inflation of contract sums and bribery. SFO sources assured the paper that nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of a full scale investigation into alleged fraudulent practices in the judicial service.