My Life is in danger -Chief Justice

The Chief Justice, George Kingsley Acquah says he has been receiving death threats as a result of his efforts to fight corruption within the judicial service.

“ Some individuals have threatened to kill and eliminate me from society,” he said.

He said apart from the death threats some people had approached sections of the media to fabricate stories about him, while others had gone to the extent of attempting to get him removed from office.

“ The maneuvers to undermine my integrity are becoming too much,” he said.

The CJ announced this at the launching of the Ghana Integrity Initiative Judiciary Watch Project (JWP) in Accra on Wednesday.

He however said God would see him through the trials.

Mr Acquah said the Judiciary was neither his property nor a company but a state institution that should be protected from corrupt practices.

In his address, he said it was important that in fighting corruption, society make conscious efforts at exposing people who offer bribes and other items to gain advantage over their counterparts.

“ If we are able to expose and punish bribe givers, we would be making meaningful strides in our fight against corruption. The best way to curb corruption was to institute anti-corruption measures,” he said.

The CJ mentioned that the setting up of the Complaints and Courts Inspectorate Division to receive complaints, the institution of comprehensive code of conduct for judges and judicial officers, and a strategy to render the administrative process simple and transparent as some of the steps being taken to curb corruption in the service.

Mr Acquah was hopeful that the project will assist in creating a just and honest society.

Executive Secretary of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Daniel Batidam said the project is to examine corruption in the Judiciary, identify weaknesses and make recommendations for reform.

Mr Batidam it is the desire of the initiative to bridge the gap between perceived corruption and its reality in all spheres of society.

Programme Manager for the Good Governance of the German Development Cooperation, Mechthild Ruenger said the project should not aim at witch hunting and exposing individuals but ensure that those who 'buy justice delivery' are halted.