Two judges involved in the controversial judicial bribery scandal are back in court with a new suit against the Chief Justice, Judicial Council and five others.
This time, Justices Paul Dery and Gilbert Ayisi Addo are demanding full payment of their salaries and a restoration of other allowances all of which were withdrawn shortly after they were indicted for trading justice for money.
The two in a five-paged writ are demanding five reliefs from the court including a declaration that the decision to put them on half salary was unconstitutional.
“A declaration that the decision by the 1st Defendant on 16th December, 2015, and which is contained in letters dated 8th and 11th January, 2016 purporting to place the Plaintiffs on “half salary with immediate effect” is inconsistent with and in contravention of Article 127(5) of the 1992 Constitution and therefore unconstitutional, null and void.
“A declaration that the decision by the 1st Defendant on 16th December, 2015, and which is contained in letters dated 8th and 11th January, 2016 purporting to suspend the payments to the Plaintiffs of all their “allowances except rent” is inconsistent with and in contravention of Article 127(5) of the 1992 Constitution and therefore unconstitutional, null and void.
“An order nullifying the above named decisions by the 1st Defendant taken on the 16th of December, 2015 and which are contained in letters dated 8th and 11th January, 2016.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st Defendant, its assigns, privies, servants, agents etc. and in particular the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Defendants from implementing the two decisions of the 1st Defendant taken on the 16th December, 2015 and which are contained in letters dated 8th and 11th January, 2016.
“Any other order(s) that this Honourable Court may deem fit to make,” the plaintiffs averred in the suit.
The defendants, including the Attorney General, the Director of Finance, Judicial Service, Pay master, Judicial Service have within 14 days, beginning from the day they are served, to respond to the writ.
The two judges, particularly Justice Dery have filed a number suits against journalists, media owners, cinemas, etc over the same issue.
He together with 31 other judges-12 High Court judges and 22 Circuit and Magistrate Court judges- were caught on camera allegedly collecting bribes to free criminals some of whom were suspected murderers, rapists etc.
The revelation by the Tiger Eye investigation, which took two years to undertake shook the very foundation of the country’s judiciary.
Whilst some of the judges have admitted taking the bribe, others have vehemently challenged the claim and are before court with a number of suits.
Source-myjoyonline.com
