Fight judicial corruption - Minority Leader to incoming CJ

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu has challenged the incoming Chief Justice (CJ), Justice Sophia Akuffo to wage a relentless war on judicial corruption to redeem the image of the bench.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in accordance with Article 144 (1) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution named the Supreme Court Judge as a successor to Justice Georgina Theodora Wood whose tenure expires June 10, 2017.

But the Tamale South Constituency legislator wants the incoming Chief Justice to discharge her duties professionally and ensure that members of the bench regain their lost integrity following the infamous exposé in the judicial scandal by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas involving some Judges and Magistrates in the country.

“I wish to urge the incoming Chief Justice to lead the fight against judicial corruption to redeem the lost image. I also wish to urge her to work to improve the working conditions of judicial staff in the country at this time staff are pressing for better condition of service,” he stated.

It would be recalled that 34 Magistrate and Circuit Court judges were implicated in the judicial corruption scandal exposed by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas leading to the dismissal of about 21.

After a two-year painstaking investigation, Anas, who operates incognito, petitioned the outgoing Chief Justice Georgina Wood to impeach the implicated judges as well as sack over a 100 Judicial Service staff who were filmed receiving bribes to influence judgments in certain cases before their courts.

This scandal is said to have cast as a slur on the image of the judiciary for which reason the Minority leader is demanding pragmatic steps to be taken by the incoming Chief Justice to boost the citizenry’s confidence in the judiciary.