From (L) Kwesi Afrifa and Justice Alex Poku-Acheampong, Judicial Secretary
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] High Court in Accra has adjourned a contempt case filed against the Judicial Secretary who doubled as the Secretary to the General Legal Council, Mr Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong to September 18, 2017.
Lawyer Kwesi Afrifa sued the Judicial Secretary for writing letter to all Court in Ghana on July 28, 2017, not to entertain him (Lawyer Kwesi [ads1]Afrifa) following a 4 year ban placed on him by the General Legal Council despite filing a Notice of Appeal at the General Legal Council and Stay of Execution/Suspending the decision of the Disciplinary Committee at the Court on the very day the 4 year sentence was imposed on him.
Lawyer Afrifa in his suit said the action of Judicial Secretary is “completely unsuitable and without any legal basis whatsoever in the face of the provision of section 21 and 22 of the Legal Profession Act 1960.”
He added that the letter showed that the Judicial Secretary has “personally disregarded the rules set out by the statute, in relation to Appeals from the decisions of the General Legal Council.”
On September 6, 2017, Lawyer Afrifa was in Court only to be told that the Respondent, Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong had filed an Affidavit In Opposition on the morning (9:10am) on September 6 when the court opened at 9am.
In the Affidavit, the Judicial Secretary stated “That in response to paragraph of the Affidavit in support, I state that the Notice to all courts was issued in the morning of July 28, 2017 before Applicant’s motion for Stay of Execution was filed and/or brought to my attention”.
The Affidavit further stated “That per the Applicant’s exhibit E, he filed his motion for stay of Execution at 12:30pm on the July 28, 2017”
However, Awake News has sighted two letters by the lawyers for Kwesi Afrifa and Lawyer Afrifa himself addressed to Judicial Secretary drawing in attention of an impending Stay of Executive filed at the court. The letter further advised the Judicial Secretary to withdraw his letters to the courts.
The trial judge, Justice Ackaah Boafo though was duly served with the Affidavit of the Judicial Secretary, he had no option by to adjourned the case since Lawyer Kwesi Afrifa was not served.
Mr. Kwesi Afrifa was banned on July 27, 2017 for 4years by the General Legal Council for representing a brother of his (Lawyer Afrifa) former client against that former client in Court in another case after close to 10 years.
Source: AwakeAfrica.com | Efo Korsi Senyo | senyo@awakeafrica.com