Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo
The former Jasikan Circuit Court judge, Alfred Kwabena Asiedu, who was dismissed for misconduct, has sued the Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and the Judicial Council over what he describes as unlawful removal from office.
Mr. Asiedu was dismissed from the Judicial Service for his inappropriate conduct in the handling of a divorce case filed by Singari Diana Sadia, the disgruntled woman who would later become his lover.
His dismissal followed a petition Madam Singari sent to the Chief Justice on January 16, this year, accusing the judge of abuse of power, sexual exploitation, malicious prosecution, and impropriety.
The sacked judge, who has since claimed innocence, has gone to court to challenge the decision of the Disciplinary Committee of the Judicial Council which recommended his dismissal and the Chief Justice’s letter confirming his dismissal.
Mr. Asiedu is seeking, among others, a “declaration that the removal of the Applicant (himself) from office as a Circuit Court judge, as contained in the letter signed by the 2nd Respondent (CJ) dated November 13, 2023, is unlawful.”
The disgruntled former judge is also seeking a declaration that both the Disciplinary Committee and the Judicial Council exceeded their authority when they made a finding of malicious prosecution against him.
He further contends that the findings against him are glaring errors of law on the face of the record and should be set aside through the supervisory powers of the court.
The love affair that led to the dismissal of Mr. Asiedu started when the lady filed a divorce case in his court.
What allegedly started as request for bribe from the judge later turned into an amorous relationship between the judge and the litigant.
Madam Singari, in her petition to the Chief Justice, detailed very questionable acts by the judge which bothered on unprofessional conduct and a recipe for bias.
The petitioner, who did not leave anything to the imagination, detailed her love affairs with the judge and how they sometimes spent time in hotel rooms, and sometimes in Kumasi.
Mr. Asiedu was invited to appear before the Disciplinary Committee, which after its investigations found the judge guilty of the allegations made against him.
The Disciplinary Committee, after investigating the complaint, found that the judge misconducted himself as a judge as there was ample evidence that he was involved in an improper relationship with the lady.
A letter by the Chief Justice to the judge also indicated that the Disciplinary Committee “established the allegation of abuse of power and malicious prosecution against you as you were found to have caused the arrest and prosecution of the Petitioner without justification.”
The Disciplinary Committee consequently recommended that Mr. Asiedu should be dismissed from the Judicial Service for his misconduct, which was carried through.
“You are therefore removed from Office as a Circuit Court judge, with immediate effect. You are directed to hand over all official properties in your possession, including your official vehicle, Dockets and Record Books to the Judicial Secretary forthwith,” the Chief Justice’s letter pointed out.
It further directed the Director of Human Resources of the Judicial Service to ensure that Mr. Asiedu’s name is deleted from the payroll of the Service with immediate effect.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak