Anas Judges C'ttee on Break

The five-member Judicial Council Committee investigating the alleged bribery scandal involving some judges, yesterday adjourned sitting until November 2, 2015.

This is because three of the panel members as well as investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, are variously traveling.

Anas had written to the committee indicating that he would be travelling outside the country and would be unavailable this month.

The committee resumed full sitting on Wednesday after a high court presided over by Gertrude Torkornoo, had dismissed an application brought by 14 of the circuit court judges and magistrates over the legality of the committee.

Anas on Wednesday spent over five hours in an in-camera hearing with the committee where the lawyers had wanted him to remove the hood that had covered his face to enable them have a face-to-face interaction with him, but they did not succeed.

Lawyers for some of the embattled judges had the chance to cross-examine Anas, who had petitioned the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, to impeach them (judges).

The cross-examination was expected to continue yesterday but the committee sitting was suspended.

This was shortly after Anas once again arrived at the premises of the court with two other hooded men, dressed just the same way like him.

Anas appeared at the premises at exactly 1:00 pm without the usual heavy police security and the fanfare that usually heralded his arrival.

Upon his arrival, the 'Anas clones' headed straight to the venue for the meeting.

Speaking to journalists in Accra yesterday, Charles Bentum, lawyer for the 14 out of the 22 magistrates and circuit court judges, confirmed the adjournment.

Unwilling to divulge further reasons for the adjournment, he stated that '…We have been told that it has been adjourned so that's all.'

According to Mr. Bentum, majority of his clients appeared before the committee but he was informed that the sitting had been adjourned.

The Chief Justice had instituted the committee to investigate a report that 34 judges had been caught on video and audio tapes taking bribes to pervert the course of justice.

The damning revelation, which was contained in the latest exposÃ© by Anas entitled, 'Ghana in the Eyes of God - Epic of Injustice,' was premiered last week with hundreds flooding the Accra International Conference Centre to watch the video many claim had shaken the judiciary to its very foundation.

The video is being shown in Kumasi this weekend and later to Takoradi.

Most of the judges had handled high-profile cases with questionable outcomes.

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
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