The Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, Anim Yeboah has formally written to the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service to commence investigation into the demand for $5million bribery allegations leveled against him by Kumasi-based lawyer, Kwesi Afrifa.
Lawyer Kwesi Afrifa is a response to a petition filed against him by Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI at the General Legal Council alleged among other things that the latter told him that:
“At the end of July 2020, the Petitioner informed me that friends of his who were highly connected politically had taken him to see the Chief Justice who had agreed to help him win his case on the condition that he drops my good self as the Lawyer handling the case for him and engage Akoto Ampaw Esq in my stead.
He further informed me that the Chief Justice had demanded a bribe of USDS5,000,000.00 for a successful outcome to his case and that he had already paid USD$500,000.00 to the Chief Justice. He further indicated that he was hard-pressed to raise the remainder of the USD$5,000,000.00 and so I should refund some of the GH¢300,000.00 paid to me as fees because he had, in line with the advice of the Chief Justice, engaged Akoto Ampaw Esq as Solicitor to continue the case before the Supreme Court.”
Content of the petition filed against Lawyer Afrifa
But in a quick rejoinder, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI denied ever meeting the Chief Justice and had never mentioned the demand for bribery to his former lawyer, Kwesiu Afrifa.
“I unequivocally deny all allegations of intended bribery or actual bribery against any judge including the Chief Justice whom I have never met or known personally apart from seeing him in distance from the bench,” the rejoinder said in part.”
“I have since applied for a copy of the said response to my petition against Lawyer Afrifa in which those fabrications and allegations are said to be contained and will appropriately react to the General Legal Council upon receipt of same.”
This morning, the Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, Francis-Xavier Sosu has called for the Chief Justice to resign or step aside whiles investigations are conducted into the matter.
Responding to the allegations for the first time, the Chief Justice also denied the allegations whiles petitioning the Police CID to investigate the matter.
Read the Cheif Justice’s full letter:
Read Lawyer Afirfa response to the petition filed against him:
O &A LEGAL CONSULT BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS & NOTARIES PUBLIC
KWASI AFRIFA, ESQ
8TH JULY, 2021.
THE SECRETARY
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE Date-
GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL
2ND FLOOR, GHANA LAW SCHOOL MAKOLA, ACCRA.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Re: PETITION AGAINST KWASI AFRIFA ESQ DATED 1ST MARCH. 2021.
On the 7thof July, 2021, at 10.40 am, I received a call from the General Post Office in Kumasi asking me to collect a letter meant for me. At about 10.00 am on the 8 of July, 2021, which is today,l collected the said letter which contains a Petition dated 1st March 2021 against my goodself by one Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta as well as a hearing notice to appear before the Committee on 15th July, 2021, at 1.00 pm.
Having perused the contents of the said Petition, I deem it fit and appropriate to respond in the manner respectfully set out below.
In the first place, it is untrue that a fee of GH¢300,000.00 was agreed between me and the Petitioner. The truth is that a fee of GH¢1,000,000.00 was agreed out of which the Petitioner paid GHe300,000.00 and undertook to settle the remainder later.
I represented the Petitioner in the Court of Appeal, Cape Coast and and also Supreme Court. I performed other duties for him particularly at the National House of Chiefs. He was so impressed and satisfied at the National House of Chiefs that he wanted to dispense with his substantive Lawyer but I told him that I did not come into supplant the Lawyer and that I will stop the conduct of the case if he dispenses with the service of the substantive Lawyer.
At the end of July 2020, the Petitioner informed me that friends of his who were highly connected politically had taken him to see the Chief Justice who had agreed to help him win his case on condition that he drops my goodself as the Lawyer handling the case for him and engage Akoto Ampaw Esq in my stead.
He further informed me that the Chief Justice had demanded a bribe of USDS5,000,000.00 for a successful outcome to his case and that he had alreådypaid USD$500,000.00 to the Chief Justice. He further indicated that he was hard-pressed to raise the remainder of the USD$5,000,000.00 and so I should refund some of the GH¢300,000.00 paid to me as fees because he had, in line with the advice of the Chief Justice, engaged Akoto Ampaw Esq as Solicitor to continue the case before the Supreme Court.
Out of a sense of dignity on my part, I told him that I will rather refund the entireGHc300,000.00 paid to me and bear the cost of air travel, hotel bills and other expenditure incurred by me in prosecuting his cases at Cape Coast and in Accra.
We aggregated the GH¢300,000.00 paid to me as being the equivalent of USDS50,000.00 which I was to refund to him without any timeline beingindicated. He said he wanted the payment in dollars because he was raising the remainder of the money to be paid the Chief Justice, and that currency was his currency of choice.
On the 27th of January, 2021, I paid an amount of USD$25,000.00 to the Petitioner and subsequently paid USDS15,000.00 to him making a total of US$40,000.00 so the outstanding amount that I have to refund to him is US$10,000.00. I am ready willing and able to make the said payment of USD$10,000.00 when I appearbefore the Committee on the 15th of July, 2021. I categorically deny ever suggesting to the Petitioner that he provides any money whatsoever for what he cryptically describes in the said Petition as “ways and means (gymnastics)”. I certainly have not and will not collect or receive any such money from him.
The Petitioner is not a novice in legal proceedings and had appeared before the Supreme Court before engaging my service as an Additional Solicitor to the substantive Lawyer who had conducted the case from the trial High Court, Agona Swedru for several years up to the Supreme Court where I was engaged by him to assist the substantive Solicitor. He is an experienced litigant and at the moment has several cases pending in various courts. For him to describe himself as “naïve”is doubly-misleading and manifestly-fabricated.
The Petitioner holds a Masters Degree and is about completing LLB at Lancashire University. He is a shrewd and experienced businessman and vigorously pursuing paramountcy of the stool he occupies. He holds himself as politically well connected and counts Jinapor, Captain Koda et al amongst his closest friends and has uninhibited access to the seat of government where he claims to be a constant presence. Such a person does not need a hapless provincial Lawyer like myself to assist him pay a bribe.
Indeed he told me that his own investigation which he caused personnel at BNI to conduct shows that the Chief Justice was in the process of acquiring several properties at a posh residential area in Kumasi and therefore needed the money urgently. I told him that I was simply not interested in his dealings with politicians and persons wielding power.
In the light of the above, it is incredulous that such a monstrous allegation would be made by the Petitioner against me and I look forward to setting the facts straightso the august Committee can determine the falsity of the allegation which I believe is contrived to tarnish my reputation against the backdrop that the Petitioner told me after his said discussion with the Chief Justice that he gets the distinct impression that the Chief Justice has a deep-seated dislike and prejudice againstme.
He has never made any demand on me for the refund of USDS100,000.00. He could not have made any such demand because he knows that he has given no such money to me. The entire content of his Petition are palpably false and mendacious falsehood as I will demonstrate at the hearing of the Petition.
I look forward to the proceedings of 15th July, 2021.
Respectfully remain.
Yours faithfully,
KWASI AFRIFA ESQ
O& AEGAL CONSULT
BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS & NOTARIES PUBLIC
0SALEGAL COKSILT
BARRISTERS. SOLICITORS
HOTARIES PUBLIC
P. 0. B0X 6376
H/Ho. HTER 301. AMAKUN