Opinions of Monday, 28 September 2015

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

To All Those Lawyers, Judges and Sympathisers Condemning Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ Modus Operandi

Have we barely forgotten, or it's just the case of us never heard of, the saying, "every unique problem has their unique solution?" I have been reading with dismay the open ignorance being exhibited by some lawyers, judges and their bunch of clueless sympathisers, following Anas' exposure of the endemic corruption within the Ghana judiciary.

In the wake of Anas' revelation of the cancerous corruption within the judiciary, some lawyers, judges and some supposed learned men and women, people who should have known better, are rather behaving far worse than complete illiterates. They have come out boldly, but shamelessly, to condemn in no mean way the method employed by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the ace investigative journalist, to catch some corrupt judges red-handed.

These lawyers are castigating him for resorting to equally illegal means to ensnare the corrupt judges within the judiciary who decide cases brought before their court always in favour of the highest bidder regardless of the party or person being honestly the guilty one. In short, they are reprimanding him for his modus operandi.

What is "modus operandi?" It simply means "a particular way of doing something". Have all those attacking Anas on air about his method employed to catch the judges with their pants/trousers down ever heard of the phrase "sting operation?" What does it mean, one may ask? A "Sting operation" means "a police action to catch criminals in which the police pretend to be criminals". In the civilized Western world where the police success at detecting and arresting criminals is high, they use sting operations, paid informants and other means possible.

No court with judges of integrity ever condemns the police for resorting to sting operations to catching criminals in their effort to reduce crime, the canker munching away the heart of the society. What then are these judges or lawyers telling me? All the lawyers who are saying Anas and all those who queued to watch the video or film that captured the judges in their corrupt mode, must be arraigned for contempt of court, are simply being ignorant and they lack the modern expertise of detecting and preventing crimes.

How could we ever have known that some judges accept goats, cats, yams and money as various forms of bribe to set even suspected murderers free?

The judicial arm of government involving herself deeply in bribe-taking is dangerous for the development of Ghana. They are those that can make Ghana do, or break. Their honest dispensation of justice without fear or favour can make Ghana progress, but their dishonesty to accept bribes to twist justice in favour of the guilty person or party can break Ghana, exactly what we see going on today in Ghana.

Judges wield the power of death and life in their hands here on earth. Are they not those that condemn criminals to death, to life imprisonment, etc.? Can they not cause the incarceration of a corrupt President in extreme cases before or after the expiration of their oftentimes absurd constitutional or (internationally-recognised) protocol indemnity always abused by African leaders? Why should a judge having this power, and decided to behave irresponsibly by taking bribes to twist justice in favour of the highest bidder be let go scot free?

Anyone condemning Anas in these bad days in the history of Ghana where official corruption has brought the nation down to her knees must please have their brains examined by psychiatrists.

Why is it that some judges refused to accept bribes and even threatened to arrest Anas for tempting them to commit crime? Why did others fall for the bait? Are they all not judges practising the same profession and given same training and advice? Morality is what the corrupt judges lack so they have the consequential obligation to pay for their action. Those who refused bribes must be praised. They are role model for the youth.

Anas, you have done well. Bravo, young man. All those condemning you are strangers in Ghana, the land of official corruption. With people of Anas' calibre around, we shall stop official corruption in Ghana.

Rockson Adofo