President Akufo-Addo has dismissed a petition seeking the removal of the Chief Justice (CJ), Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, from office.

The petition was initiated by the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) which contended that the CJ is unfit to hold office, based on the allegation by a private Lawyer Kwasi Afrifa.

This follows the group’s petition to President Akufo Addo to invoke provisions of Article 146 to commence impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah after it also wrote to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), to probe the matter.

A Kumasi-based lawyer Kwasi Afrifa alleged that a former client of his, Nana Obranu Gura II, Ogyeedom had alleged a demand of $5 million by the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah to influence a case in his (client’s) favour.

Consequently, the civil society anti-corruption organization petitioned President Akufo-Addo on July 13, 2021, to initiate impeachment proceedings to remove the Chief Justice.

Afrifa’s allegation, among several others, was contained in a response dated July 8, 2021 to the General Legal Council to counter a petition by his aggrieved ex-client in which the latter demanded money he claimed to have given Afrifa to procure him a favourable verdict in a court case.

Nana Kwesi Atta, however, denied making the allegation against the Chief Justice.

The Chief Justice also denied the allegation in a letter of July 12, 2021, signed by the Judicial Secretary which also indicated that the CIJ had reported the matter to the police CID for investigation.

In a letter addressed to the civil society organization, the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, said it is premature to suspend the CJ.

“We are not aware of any law, rule or practice that requires a petitioner to be furnished with what you describe as vital information and, therefore, it could not have been contemplated that the information you requested in your letter could have been made available to you in any event.”

“In our view, having submitted the petition, nothing more is required of you in the matter to warrant any reports being made to you, further to our acknowledgement of receipt,” the letter added.