• NDC will speak on the allegations made against the Chief Justice by lawyer Akwasi Afrifa
• The Chief Justice has referred the case to CID and the GLC
• Ogyeedom has also rejected the allegations by Akwasi Afrifa
The National Democratic Congress will today, July 13, 2021, hold a press conference on the US$5million bribery allegation involving the Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah and one Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta IV.
An artwork shown by the party on its social media platforms indicates that at 14:00 GMT, the party’s executives will address Ghanaians on the issue.
It is expected that the National Communications Officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi, who is also a lawyer will handle the press conference.
The Chief Justice is the subject of a bribery allegation, leveled against him by lawyer Kwasi Afrifa who has been dragged before the General Legal Council (GLC) by Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI.
Afrifa in a written response to the GLC made quite a number of allegations against the Chief Justice and Lawyer Akoto Ampaw.
“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,” he added.
These claims have been outrightly rubbished by the Chief Justice and Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI.
In separate statements, the two figures said that the allegations are without any iota of truth and must be rejected.
Ogyeedom said, “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.”
The Chief Justice on the other hand referred the issue to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service and the Disciplinary Committee of the GLC.
“His Lordship the Chief Justice is saddened that without any shred of evidence, his name has been dragged into this sordid and potentially criminal matter.
“His Lordship further asserts that he has not demanded or received any money from any person to influence any decision,” the letter said.
