President Kufuor mourns Justice Afreh

Accra, March 19, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife Theresa were among mourners who thronged the International Central Gospel Church (ICGI) in Accra on Friday for the first burial service for Mr Justice Dixon Kwame Afreh, 71, Luminary and Former Supreme Court Judge.

The casket was draped in rich Kente and bedecked with wreaths and was placed on a raised dais in the church.

His biography was read and his wife, children and the Judicial Service of Ghana paid tributes.

The body would be conveyed to his hometown, Barekese in the Atwima District of Ashanti Region later in the day to be laid in state. Another burial service would be held at the Good Shepherd Methodist Church at Barekese before internment at the local Methodist cemetery on Saturday, March 20.

The late Justice Afreh with 32 years of legal practice, died at the Cardio-Thoracic Centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, February 17.

Justice Afreh was born in Kumasi on March 25, 1933 and was admitted to the Ghana Bar in September 1961.

He had his second cycle education from 1949 to 1954 at Achimota School. He then left for the University of Birmingham, England for his LL.B between October 1955 and July 1958 and continued to the University of London, England between October 1958 and October 1960 for his Master's in Law.

He was called to the English Bar in February 1960 at the Lincoln's Inn, London.

Between 1962 and 1975, he lectured at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon, rising to the position of Senior Lecturer, Acting Dean of Law Faculty and Acting Hall Master of Commonwealth Hall in 1974.

Justice Afreh worked at the Attorney -General's Office as Chief State Attorney between 1975 and 1978.

In April 1973 to June 1980, he worked with the General Legal Council as Director of Legal Education. He later joined the Pan African News Agency (PANA) in Dakar, Senegal between June 1981 and October 1992 and became Head of Administration and later rose to the position of Financial Controller from 1989 to 1992.

Between September 1978 and June, 1979 he was Commissioner for Information and Cocoa Affairs under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) regime. He was also a Deputy Commissioner for the Electoral Commission between 1992 and 1994 and was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Ghana in June 1994.

In 2002, Mr Justice Afreh was elevated to the Supreme Court and finally retired in September 2003 upon attaining the age of 70 years He left behind a widow Rosalind and five children - three men and two women.