Magistrate faces punishment

A former Magistrate of the Ada District Court in the Greater Accra Region is to face disciplinary action by the Judiciary Service for allegedly working outside his remit.

Jonathan Avogo, who is on study leave in the United States of America (USA), has been tasked by the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Georgina Woode to explain why he should not be punished.

The Judiciary Service has given the Magistrate by February 10, 2017 to answer a query as to why he personally solicited funds to procure furniture for the Ada Circuit Court without recourse to management.

Mr Avogo is to explain why he did not inform management about the Ada Circuit Court project in order for the Works Department of the Judicial Service to take part in the project.

The query, signed by Richard Apeatu, Second Deputy Judicial Secretary, followed a petition received by Her Ladyship the Chief Justice from some concerned citizens of Ada against the magistrate for allegedly misappropriating an amount of GHC20,000 meant for the Ada Circuit Court project.

The Chief Justice referred the matter to the fact-finding committee to conduct preliminary investigations.

The committee, after the investigation, exonerated the magistrate of the misappropriation of project funds.

The committee revealed that the magistrate was part of the delegation that solicited funds from one Dr. Samuel Nii Kotei Djani to undertake the Ada Circuit Court Project.

According to the Committee, Dr. Djani took the decision to pay the money into the bank account of the magistrate for the procurement of furniture.

It also came to light that the money was used to furnish the new Circuit Court at Ada.

The committee further revealed that the petitioners’ witnesses debunked the allegation of misappropriation of funds against the magistrate.