‘corrupt’ judges should be arrested – Lawyer urges BNI

A US based law professor Stephen Kwaku Asare has charged the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Police to immediately cause the arrest of judges who have been implicated in the latest corruption scandal exposed by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

He said in as much as these indicted judges pronounced judgment on ordinary people who have committed crimes, they should also be arrested and interrogated and if possible prosecuted for their roles in the scandal.


Anas Aremeyaw Anas’s private investigative company, Tiger Eye PI, conducted a two-year investigation which produced a video showing 34 judges and magistrates, more than 100 court clerks, seven policemen, five state attorneys and bail contractors engaging in bribery and extortion.
One court clerk even took his payment in the form of sex.

One of the High Court judges implicated in the video, Paul Uuter Dery, is on the heels of any organisation that attempts to screen the video, while 14 Circuit Court judges have filed a suit seeking to stop disciplinary proceedings instituted by the Judicial Council to investigate the matter.
But speaking on an Accra based radio station Monday Prof Adu Asare said the police should treat the case as a criminal case and not allow the status of these judges to intimidate them.
“Why should the police sit aloof and just look at these corrupt judges running to courts while they have been recorded on tape taking bribes which is a criminal act.

They should be arrested immediately and investigated” he said.
"The police and the BNI should wake up and do their job differently and stop looking at trivial issues that will not add anything to their work. This case is a criminal case and should be treated as such” he noted.

He indicated that though the Chief Justice has instituted a committee to investigate the issue, it is the responsibility of the security agencies in the country to also play their role as security personnel.

Source: Ghana/Adomonline.com