Former Central Regional chairman of NDC, Allotey Jacobs
Bernard Allotey Jacobs has fired shots at the various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the country over their modus operandi and behaviour.
Allotey Jacobs believed the CSOs have been left off the hook for far too long and it’s about time to put a leash on them.
As a result, he is calling on the intelligence agencies to investigate the CSOs’ sources of sponsorship that empowers them to unjustifiably level allegations against government officials.
His comments follow a bribery allegation against the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah.
The Chief Justice has been accused by a private legal practitioner, Kwasi Afrifa that he had demanded a $5 million bribe to deliver a favourable judgment in a case involving his client.
A Civil Soceity Organization, Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo to remove the Chief Justice from office citing the bribery allegaion.
Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah has however denied the allegation and reported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to investigate the matter.
Acting on investigations by the Council of State into the allegation, the President, after studying the report, threw out the petition saying it is “devoid of any basis warranting the setting up of a committee under Article 146 (6) to undertake the very serious business of removing a Chief Justice from office.”
” . . the Supreme Court in interpreting article 146 (6) had in mind unmeritorious and unwarranted petitions such as the instant one. The petition is dismissed accordingly,” he stressed in a statement dated August 20, 2021.
Allotey Jacobs, discussing the issue, also expressed worry that the CSOs, without a just cause, accuse persons of being corrupt.
“You look at a situation just because he has presided over a case that concerns elections, the man has become an enemy to some people. So, you come out to say something freely just like that and then you have a whole team of people supporting you; go ahead, then you have one of the CSOs,” he snapped.
“Look, intelligence need to find out who are sponsoring these people. Oh yes, it’s important! Because when some of these CSOs come out and you don’t see exactly what they are about but just purposely to attack government on any issue, then there is something behind,” he further asserted on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”.