General News of Monday, 17 December 2018
Source: Citinewsroom.com
2018-12-17
Paul Dery
Despite their firing from the high court, former judges Ayisi Addo, Paul Dery, and Mustapha Habib Logoh are focused on clearing their name at the ECOWAS court, according to their lawyer, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo.
“They intend to vindicate their rights at the ECOWAS Court and will not rest until their case has been heard to a logical conclusion and Justice delivered,” their lawyer conveyed in a statement on Facebook.
The three filed a suit at the ECOWAS Court on March 29 over their suspension from the Judicial Service.
They were praying the court to restrain the judiciary from proceeding with their impeachment.
Mr. Samoa Addo also said his client, Justices Logoh, who “received the news of their removal from office by President with great disappointment” had not been given an opportunity to appear before any committee before their sacking.
Justices Logoh, Dery and Ayisi Addo have received the news of their removal from office by President with great disappointment. This is because their case at the ECOWAS Court has been scheduled for hearing on the 23rd of January 2019. They remain focused on their case at the ECOWAS Court in which Ghana is fully represented by the office of the Attorney General. They intend to vindicate their rights at the ECOWAS Court and will not rest until their case has been heard to a logical conclusion and Justice delivered. It is important to note that during this period that their case has been pending before the court they have not been given any opportunity to appear before any committee.
Their removal therefore opens a new chapter in the ongoing case which they intend to pursue both before the ECOWAS and African Human Rights Court if need be.
Dery and co fight to clear their name
The three judges were among the 22 High and Lower Court judges captured by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in audio and video recordings in 2015, showing them collecting bribes from litigants.
Paul Uuter Dery and Habib Logoh, have been challenging the claims of corruption against them.
They spared no detail in trying to frustrate attempts to indict them.
In 2017, they took on then-Chief Justice, Georgina Wood, for selecting a private legal practitioner to represent her in court instead of the Attorney General.
Logoh had earlier cited the Justice Theodora Georgina Woo for contempt of court for going ahead with impeachment proceedings against him when he had other suits pending in court in relation to his interdiction.
Paul Uuter Dery and Gilbert Ayisi Addo also challenged the Judicial Council for withholding their full salaries.
Anas was also met with suits claiming he was a fraud.
Paul Dery sued Anas a couple of times at the Supreme Court seeking to nullify a petition for his removal.
Paul Dery wanted the petition calling on the Chief Justice to impeach 32 lower and high court judges over allegations of bribery dismissed.
They currently have a case at the ECOWAS Court which has been scheduled for hearing on the 23rd of January 2019.