Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr, the Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper has said the allegations made against the Chief Justice by lawyer Akwasi Afrifa are without merit.
Baako on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana (Thursday, July 15) said “in my candid opinion I think that allegation is useless. It’s my personal view but its malicious and useless but because it concerns a public office holder of the high level of Chief Justice I’m not about to say so throw it way.”
Corruption allegations have been made against the Chief Justice by lawyer Akwasi Afrifa who in a written response to a petition filed against him at the General Legal Council, alleged among other things that Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah demanded $5million from a client of his to rule in his favor.
Akwasi Afrifa alleged that the Chief Justice also recommended that his client retains services of lawyer Akoto Ampaw as his counsel.
“At the end of July 2020, the Petitioner informed me that friends of his who were highly connected politically had taken him to see the Chief Justice who had agreed to help him win his case on condition that he drops my goodself as the lawyer handling the case for him and engage Akoto Ampaw Esq in my stead,” Kwasi Afrifa said.
“He further informed me that the Chief Justice had demanded a bribe of US$5,000,000 for a successful outcome to his case and that he had already paid US$500,000 to the Chief Justice. He further indicated that he was hard-pressed to raise the remainder of the US$5,000,000 and so I should refund some of the GH¢300,000 paid me as fees because he had in line with the advice of the Chief Justice, engaged Akoto Ampaw Esq as solicitor to continue the case before the Supreme Court,” Afrifa added.
These allegations have been denied by the Chief Justice who has petitioned the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service and the General Legal Council to probe the issue.
“His Lordship is saddened that, without any shred of evidence, his name has been dragged into this sordid and potentially criminal matter. His Lordship confirms that he does not know the plaintiff and has not met or seen him anywhere, except in the courtroom when he rises to announce his name when his case is called. His Lordship asserts that he has had no personal interaction either with the plaintiff or his lawyer on this matter or in any other matter,” the Chief Justice said in the petition. Nana Ogyeedom, the man whose petition against lawyer Afrifa gave rise to the allegations has also denied them.
“I unequivocally deny all allegations of intended bribery or actual bribery against any judge including the Chief Justice whom I have never met or known personally apart from seeing him in distance from the bench,” the rejoinder said in part.
“I have since applied for a copy of the said response to my petition against Lawyer Afrifa in which those fabrications and allegations are said to be contained and will appropriately react to the General Legal Council upon receipt of same.”
