By Bright Ntramah.
The Council of State has presented its findings on a petition filed by Think tank, Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability, ASEPA demanding the removal of the Chief Justice to President Akufo-Addo.
The Council was tasked to determine whether a prima facie case had been found or not against the Chief Justice before a full-blown investigation can be initiated.
Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Serebour presented a confidential report to the President at a brief ceremony at the Jubilee House.
President Akufo-Addo thanked the Council of State for the expeditious manner in which the report was compiled.
As a background to the issue, the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) petitioned the President to ask the Chief Justice to step down, after a Lawyer, Akwasi Afrifa while responding to a petition filed against him at the General Legal Council alleged that a former client, he was representing at the Supreme Court told him that the Chief Justice had allegedly demanded a US$5 million bribe from him to allegedly influence a court case in his favour.
In response, the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah in a statement on Monday, July 12, 2021, denied making any such demand.
The Chief Justice hence directed that a formal complaint be made to the Criminal Investigations Department, CID of the Ghana Police Service for investigations and the necessary action taken in the matter.
However, the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), was of the view that petitioning the CID was not necessary, rather the Chief Justice should have petitioned in his capacity as a private citizen of Ghana.
