Judicial Scandal: Sacked High Court Judge dead

One of the High Court judges who was sacked after being cited in the judicial corruption scandal Justice Francis K. Opoku has been confirmed dead.

According to Starr FM’s Court correspondent Wilberforce Asare, Justice Opoku reportedly died of High Blood Pressure.

Justice Opoku and Justice Kofi Essel Mensah were sacked in April this year following recommendations by the committee formed to investigate allegations of “stated misbehavior” leveled against them.

A statement signed by the Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex B. Poku Acheampong stated that “His Excellency the President, John Dramani Mahama, in a letter dated April 12, 2016 accepted the recommendation for the their removal from office by the Committee set up by the Hon. Lady Chief Justice to investigate the petition from Anas Aremeyaw Anas of Tigereyepi for their removal on grounds of stated misbehavior.

Some 22 lower court judges and 12 High Court judges were captured on video in a two-year investigative piece by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, allegedly taking bribes to influence justice.

So far, 20 of the lower court judges have been removed from office.

The statement further explained that in the case of Justice Francis K. Opoku, a second petition for his removal from office was submitted to the President by the Judicial Council on October 29, 2015 on grounds of stated misbehaviour and incompetence following complaints about his failure to sit regularly as a Justice of the High Court at the High Court, Bolgatanga.