ADVERTISEMENT

CHRAJ calls for caution in judges' case

The acting Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Richard Quayson, said the footage, if shown, might so cloud the judgement of some individuals who would not see the issue as some individual judges corrupting themselves but perceive the judicial system as corrupt.

The acting Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Richard Quayson

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has asked Ghanaians to exercise caution in their demands to have the video of some judges allegedly receiving bribes aired.

The acting Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Richard Quayson, said the footage, if shown, might so cloud the judgement of some individuals who would not see the issue as some  individual judges corrupting themselves but  perceive the  judicial system as corrupt.

He said his outfit  supported the efforts of the Chief Justice in the judicial processes to establish the culpability of those alleged to have corrupted themselves .Mr Richard Quayson said this after a meeting with the Chief Justice , Mrs Georgina Wood, over the weekend.

Mr Quayson, who is also the Deputy Commissioner in charge of Anti-Corruption and Public Education, met with the Chief Justice on account of the public interest generated by the revelations of investigative journalist, Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas, and also because the issue bordered on corruption, which is one of the three mandates of CHRAJ.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mr Quayson told the Daily Graphic that after a lengthy discussion with the Chief Justice, he was satisfied with all the processes being followed to establish the corruption or otherwise of the implicated judges, and was confident in the CJ’s actions to purge the judiciary of corruption.

The only role the commission had to play is to follow up on the processes and ensure the recovery of assets to the state from those culpable at the end of the investigative processes.

He said any unlawful gain through corrupt acts had to be recovered for the state after the completion of the processes instituted by the CJ and the culpability established.

Video footage

On the issue as to whether the video of the judges allegedly caught misconducting themselves had to be shown, Mr Quayson was of the view that caution ought to be exercised.

ADVERTISEMENT

"We need not throw away the baby with the bath water," he said.For him, the processes kick-started by the CJ were in line with purging the system of corrupt judges.

"Now, with these investigations, even those not implicated, but who were so minded to be corrupt, would be careful," he said.He emphasised the fact that his stance was not to shield but for all Ghanaians to exercise caution in the matter.He said such a perception would not be fair on judges, most of whom were people of integrity

NACAP

Mr Quayson was also of the view that national initiatives such as the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP), presented a great opportunity for Ghanaians to reduce the incidence of corruption.

The nation’s anti-corruption blue print, he said, would sensitise all Ghanaians to imbibe the importance of identifying corruption and reporting on it.

ADVERTISEMENT

“There's no quick fix to corruption, especially in a country such as Ghana, where corruption is quite endemic and widespread. We must demonstrate the political will to fight corruption, and the NACAP offers the best and most strategic response,”  he said.“We must invest heavily in the fight against corruption if we really want to tame corruption and bring  it down to reasonable levels”, Mr Quayson added.

“We have to prioritise the fight against corruption to save mother Ghana”, he maintained.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh

ADVERTISEMENT