Ghana's government
suspended seven out of 12 high court judges on Monday in the wake of
allegations of bribery stemming from a documentary made by an investigative
journalist.
The decision is part of a
response to a three-hour film first screened in the capital last month that has
caused an uproar in the West African country because it showed judges accepting
bribe money through intermediaries.
Ghana's judiciary is
revered for its efficacy and impartiality and is viewed as a bulwark of a
society that prides itself on its reputation as one of Africa's most stable and
peaceful democracies.
But the documentary put
Chief Justice Georgina Wood and other judicial leaders under pressure to show a
forceful public response.
"Their suspension
follows the establishment of a prima facie case of stated misbehaviour against
them by the Hon. Lady Chief Justice (Wood)," said a statement from the
Judicial Service announcing a decision by Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur
based on advice from the Judicial Council.
The council previously
suspended 22 junior judges who appeared in the video and investigated the
conduct of high court judges to see if there is a case for their impeachment.
Some of the judges have
denied wrongdoing and have filed a challenge in court, saying their suspension
had no legal basis because documents relating to the video that were submitted
by the journalist were not made available to them.
No comments:
Post a Comment