Tabloid News of Friday, 14 September 2001

Source: --

Trouble brews for Justice Wiredu

The Free Press claims it has learnt that a stormy reception is being planned for Justice Wiredu when parliament resumes sitting in October over allegations of impropriety leveled against the acting Chief Justice.

The acting Chief Justice is due for vetting and approval by Parliament, to become Chief Justice, as enjoined by Article 144(h) of the 1992 constitution.

The paper reports sources close to the NDC caucus in Parliament as saying on Thursday that they would be probing the acting Chief Justice on the exact nature of his petition to the chairman of the PNDC on April 29, 1986, asking for his reinstatement as a judge, after he was dismissed earlier in that year.

Again he would be questioned about his reappointment of George K. Fordjour, who is the subject of allegations of bribery, as a Deputy Financial Controller in the Judicial Service.

The Free Press says another issue to be raised is why the acting Chief Justice failed to act in concrete terms on allegations that he was bribed to influence the outcome of a case in the Supreme Court involving the Omanhene of Atebubu Traditional Area, Nana Owusu-Akyeaw Brempong II.