Contempt scare won't stop the momentum to clean judiciary - Kweku Baako

Senior journalist Abdul Malik Kweku Baako says he is not worried at all by an avalanche of contempt suits in the wake of the screening of a video detailing judicial bribery.

He said when the noises die down, Ghana would be driven by the contents of the video to take steps that would make the state better.

A two-year investigative video compiled by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas showing 34 judges allegedly taking bribes has shocked the nation and dominated media discussions for weeks.

Two of the 12 High Court judges accused of taking bribes have gone to the High Court challenging the legality of the audio-visual recordings.

Justices Paul Uuter Dery and Mustapha Habib Logoh say the recordings were done in violation of the right to privacy.

They want the court to declare that the ‘evidence’ cannot be used to institute any impeachment proceedings against them.

Justice Dery filed a separate application for interlocutory injunction seeking to stop the Accra International Conference Centre from allowing Anas to screen the video there.

Even though the injunction processes were served on managers of the Conference Centre, the screening came off as scheduled on September 22 and 23.

Justice Dery went back to court and cited the Manager of the conference centre amongst other for contempt.

His lawyer, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, argued the serving of the injunction processes acted as an injunction.

He said the conduct of the managers of the centre scandalized the court and had the tendency to bring the delivery of justice into disrepute.

Speaking on the matter on Joy FM and MultiTV’s news analysis programme Newsfile, said the cases being brought to court will not dim the effect of the evidence collected by Anas.

He said the processes should be allowed and those cited must enjoy their constitutional right to presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

More soon.