Why have you hidden the findings? – Pratt quizzes President

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Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Junior, has raised concerns about President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s decision to keep to himself the outcome of investigations into a petition filed by the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), seeking to remove Chief Justice from office. ASEPA’s petition comes on the heels of a bribery allegation against the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah.

The Chief Justice has been accused by a private legal practitioner, Kwasi Afrifa, that he had demanded a $5 million bribe to deliver a favourable judgment in a case involving his client. Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah denied the allegation and called on the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to investigate the matter.

However, the President constitutionally referred the issue to the Council of State, which held investigations in-camera and on Friday presented their findings to the President. The Council of State findings were not made public, but President Akufo-Addo, after studying the report, threw out the petition saying it is “devoid of any basis warranting the setting up of a committee under Article 146 (6) to undertake the very serious business of removing a Chief Justice from office.” “…the Supreme Court in interpreting article 146 (6) had in mind unmeritorious and unwarranted petitions such as the instant one. The petition is dismissed accordingly,” the statement dated August 20, 2021, added. Kwesi Pratt, discussing the petition on Peace FM’s morning show “Kokrokoo”, wondered why the Council of State findings were not made public. He, therefore, called for legal interpretations on why the contents of the report were concealed, trying to find out whether it is lawful or unlawful. “It’s enshrined in the constitution that investigations into a matter of such magnitude is not publicized. It is done in-camera but, that also raises other issues. If you hold investigations in-camera, does it mean the report should not be made public?” he questioned