Bribery Allegation Hits Chief Justice’s Office- Lawyer Petitions President For Investigations To Be Held

The nation is not done reeling from the recent judicial scandal and another seems headed for us, this time with the accusations hitting right at the office of the Chief Justice.
A private legal practitioner, I.B. Akwantey, has petitioned the President to sack from office some judges for allegedly collecting bribes to serve as a means of recommending other judges for promotion.
Akwantey’s petition is based on Article 146 (3), which grants the President the powers to institute an inquiry into judges if he is petitioned.
Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei has been accused of taking Ghc 2,000 as a bribe from another judge, Benjamin Osei, and promised to add his name to a list of judges to be considered for promotion.
After taking the money, he allegedly referred Judge Osei to Justice Bernard Bentil, who the petition names as the Chief of Staff at the Chief Justice’s secretariat. He also allegedly took Ghc 2,000 from Justic Osei.
The petition described Osei’s conduct as sort of a sting operation to expose corruption at the Secretariat, as he has been working tirelessly for 18 years without ever being promoted.
“To my mind, it is no co­incidence that some of us have worked tirelessly over eight years without being invited once to write promo­tion exams.” I.B Akwantey wrote.
“Judge Benjamin Osei had worked with the judiciary for 18 years without blemish but he is still a Circuit Court Judge.
“He, therefore, decided to put the two big men at the Chief Justice Secretariat to test, and it proved positive”
Akwantey noted that Osei is willing to testify in the case if called upon. By law, the Chief Justice would have to investigate the allegations to determine if a prima facie case exists against these two judges.