7 Cops grabbed; 34 Anas Judges hot!

• Posted on September 29, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The police are set to investigate the alleged taking of bribe by 34 superior court judges caught on video camera by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

Seven police officers, mostly prosecutors, who were also captured taking bribes, would be investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police Service.

The seven police prosecutors were captured on the video soliciting various sums of money to free criminals standing trial for offences like rape, robbery, dealing in narcotics, murder and defilement.

The policemen stationed at the Takoradi, Cape Coast, Odumase Krobo, Aflao, Mpraeso and Akropong circuit courts captured on the video taking various sums of money – GH¢100 and GH¢1,000 – are also going to be probed.

The police prosecutors include Seth Ahelegbe, a prosecutor based in Takoradi in the Western Region; Inspector Anku, Somanya court; Apronti of Cape Coast circuit court; Balla, at Mpraeso in the Eastern Region; a prosecutor at the Akropong court also in the Eastern Region; a woman yet to be named from Cape Coast court and Appiah, Odumase Krobo court.

The police had received a correspondence from the Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong, seeking permission to do so.

Director General of Police CID, COP Prosper Kwame Agblor, told DAILY GUIDE that the police administration, acting in accordance with the law, officially wrote to the Chief Justice to release those judges implicated in the scandal to aid in investigations.

The Attorney General’s Department had earlier given the police permission to go ahead with the investigations and the Chief Justice was accordingly informed to release the affected judges so that the process could commence.

“Per our service instruction Act 166, paragraph five to eight states that criminal proceedings against any government official in respect to any matter arising out of his official duties, or connected with his employment as such, shall not be instituted without the permission of the attorney general.”

A Principal State Attorney, Rexford Anthony Wiredu, who is said to be on retirement, did not escape the lenses of the Tiger Eye Team – Anas’ company that carried out the investigations that revealed the bribery scandal.

Mr Wiredu, who handled high-profile cases, including the Republic vs Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and others, was also caught on tape allegedly taking bribe to employ tactics to ensure that a case he was handling was ‘delayed.’

The former Principal State Attorney said “We discussed many means of achieving this, including ensuring that the docket goes missing,” the petition which was submitted last week to the Attorney General stated.

Four other state attorneys from Bolgatanga and Accra and two messengers from the Attorney-General’s Department were captured on the video receiving some money believed to be bribe.

Although the Tiger Eye PI team could not provide the full names of most of the 12 suspects, the video clearly showed their faces while they were negotiating for and receiving the said bribes.

COP Agblor said even though their names were not readily available, police would use their pictures and locations to find them.

“Those involved will be invited by the police to answer questions and those culpable will be prosecuted,” he added.

Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the undercover investigator, over the weekend forwarded the names of the 12 state attorneys and policemen who purportedly took bribes to subvert justice to be sanctioned.

He submitted videos of the suspects to the appropriate authorities for the necessary sanctions.

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 of various sums of money.

One court clerk was even caught in a sex scandal.

Last week, viewers were gripped with awe and disappointment at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) when Anas and his Tiger Eye PI screened the video recordings of how some judges stooped so low to take bribes.

The numerous patrons who thronged the centre expressed shock and bewilderment at how the judges were taking bribes in broad daylight to throw away cases or let criminals off the hook in the almost three-hour video. They were offered monies between GH¢100 and GH¢15,000 – some in red cedi notes.

According to a statement issued by the judiciary, the judges who had been exposed by Anas’ undercover operations for allegedly taking bribes include Justices John Ajet-Nasam, Paul Uuter Dery, Kofi Essel Mensah, Charles Quist and Ernest Obimpeh.

The rest are Justices Mustapha Habib Logoh, Gilbert Ayisi-Addo popularly called Saddam, Frank Opoku, Ivy Heward Mills and Kwame Ohene Essel.

However, two out of the twelve justices – Yaw Ansu-Gyeabour and Mohammed Iddrisu – are said to have already retired before Anas made the investigative report available.

Lower Courts

The names of some of the suspended 22 lower court judges have been given as Florence K. Ninepence Otoo, Alex Obeng Asante, Emmanuel K. Sunu, Benjamin Y. Osei, Baptiste Kodwo Filson, Issac Akwetey, Albert Zoogah, Courage Ofori Afriyie and Seyram Tsatsu Yao Azumah, all of the circuit court.

The magistrates are William Baffoe, Michael Boamah Gyamfi, Paul K. Alhassan, Stephen Asuure, Kaakyire Atta Owusu, Alfred K.A Mensah, Frank Kingsley Oppong, Samuel Ahaibor, Isaac K. Amoah and Jacob Amponsah.

 By Linda Tenyah –Ayettey