The Chief Justice nominee Justice Sophia Akuffo has described as “gratuitously insulting” a 2011 corruption charge leveled against the judiciary by four lawyers including Raymond Atuguba.
As a result, she willingly signed the communique’ blacklisting them until they either substantiate or withdraw their “offensive” claim.
The other three lawyers are David Annan, Abraham Amaliba and the late Larry Bimi.
It was recalled that at a round table discussion on the Judiciary in 2011 to herald the constitution week of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), the four gave credibility to some research findings which claimed the Judiciary was of the most corrupt institution in the country.
Angered by the allegations, the Association of Magistrates and Judges decreed in a communique’ on May 13, 2011 that: “Until this matter has been satisfactorily resolved, Judges and Magistrates also reserve the right to recuse themselves from hearing cases in which any of these lawyers appear, since Dr. Raymond Atuguba has declared to the world at large that: ‘there is nobody in the country who can convince me that judges do not take bribes’.”
“The same holds good for the other lawyers who hold similar views as Dr. Raymond Atuguba,” the communiqué added.
Commenting on the impasse Friday when she appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament Justice Akuffo said they were greatly offended by the claims of the four, saying: “It wasn’t too much about he [Raymond Atuguba] has said, but it was the manner in which that utterance was charring the entire judiciary with a brush of corruption.”
“And this was something…we felt that it was gratuitously offensive. And if you have gratuitously and in casual manner insulted all the judges, basically that is what I would have to say. So, we say specify or withdraw otherwise we are not going to hear you. Because you said we are corrupt so why should we corrupt judges take your case. It is as simple as that,” she added.
