Whistleblowing Lawyer Stands Ground In Alleged $5million Chief Justice’s Bribery Scandal

Lawyer Akwasi Afrifa is refusing to back down from his allegation that he has been reliably informed that Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah had solicited for some US$5million bribe to manipulate an ongoing legal suit to favour the bribe giver. 

Today, Lawyer Afrifa told the High Court before which he is seeking to have 9 charges levelled against him by the General Legal Council (GLC) set aside, that his allegation was just a repeat of what his client Ogyeedom Obranu Kwasi Atta Vl had told him.

He insists he has not been a reckless officer of the court or peddled falsehood as the GLC has claimed.

Mr. Afrifa justifies his disclosure of this allegation by saying it was necessary to enable him to put up his defence at the GLC before which he had been dragged.

It would be recalled that in reaction to he being dragged to the GLC over legal fees that his client, traditional leader Obranu Kwasi Atta Vl was asking him to refund, Lawyer Afrifa had revealed that his client had explained he needed the refund as part of monies he was mobilizing to pay the supposed US$5million bribe that the Chief Justice had demanded.

Per the revelation, the chief was desperate to win his case against Ghana Telecom and had contacted some well-connected people for help.

The allegation is that the people that the chief connected with led him to the Chief Justice who is presiding over the case at the Supreme Court, and that the CJ had advised him to fire his Lawyer and hire in his place President Akufo-Addo’s personal Lawyer, Akoto Ampaw.

Allegedly, the CJ had also demanded a bribe of US$5million.

Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah has denied the allegation and asked the Police to investigate.

It was the same CJ who dragged Lawyer Afrifa to the GLC which he personally presides over.

The Council, following its initial hearings, concluded that a case of misconduct at first instance has been made against Mr. Afrifa. The Council has since also received a petition from the Chief.

However, Lawyer Afrifa insists that the Council has not given him a fair hearing and therefore wants the High Court to set aside its ruling.

He says that on 15 July 2021, the GLC held its first meeting. Upon arrival to defend himself, he was informed that the Chief (his client) had filed another process against him.

According to him, he urged the Council to adjourn the matter since he had not been served, however, he was ignored and handed the 8-page process, with the hearing taking off shortly after.

After this hearing, he was informed that a prima facie case had been established and ordered to appear for a hearing on July 29.

Lawyer Afrifa insists this behavior of the GLC is contrary to the due process laid out in many Supreme Court cases about the need for a fair hearing.

He further claims the GLC did not follow its own rules because of the service of processes. These alleged breaches, he believes, makes a strong case for the High Court to exercise its power to quash the proceedings of the Council

He points out that 5 of the charges against him are based on Legislative Instrument 613, which he argues has been repealed by Rule 103 of L.I. 2423.

He insists the remaining charges are either repetitive, Imprecise, unknown, or fundamentally flawed.