AG ordered to respond to Dery's suit in seven days

AG - Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong

A five-member Supreme Court panel presided over by Justice Julius Ansah has slammed the Attorney General's department over its failure to respond to a suit filed by Justice Paul Dery, one of the judges indicted in the judicial scandal.

According to the Supreme Court, the AG’s department has a deficient sense of urgency in responding to constitutional matters.

The AG's department has since September 25 not been able to respond to a suit filed by Justice Dery against the Chief Justice.

The embattled High Court judge is seeking 10 reliefs against Tiger Eye PI, a private investigation firm owned by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the Chief Justice, and the Attorney General, as the first, second and third defendants respectively.

Justice Dery is one of the 12 high court judges caught on video allegedly taking bribes to pervert justice. Twenty-two Circuit Court judges and Magistrates involved in the judicial bribery scandal have been suspended.

Justice Dery is asking the court to declare that Anas’ Tiger Eye’s publication of its Petition to the President in the media contravened Article 146 (8) of the 1992 Constitution and therefore unconstitutional.

A declaration that the 2nd Defendant acting through the Judicial Secretary’s Press Release dated 11th September, 2015, naming the Plaintiff as one of the twelve (12) High Court Judges involved in the “Bribery Scandal” is in contravention of Article 146 (8) of the 1992 Constitution and therefore unconstitutional, he argued.

A further declaration that the Petition presented to the President by the 1st Defendant is null and void on account of the 1st Defendant’s contravention of Article 146(8) of the 1992 Constitution.

Justice Dery is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant, her agents, assigns, servants and successors from any further impeachment proceedings against him.

The Supreme Court has since given the Attorney General’s department seven days to file their response.

The case has since been adjourned sine die.