Justice Henry A. Kwofie
Association of Magistrates and Jugdes (AMJG) says Justice Clemence Honyenuga has not been given two brand new cars by the President through the Chief Justice to jail Dr Stephen Opuni and Seidu Adongo.
According to AMJG, the allocation of vehicles to Justice Honyenuga, Supreme Court Judge sitting as an additional High Court Judge, was for his official use and that the vehicles had nothing to do with case pending before him.
“The AMJG finds this allegation against Justice Clemence Honyenuga and in deed the Judiciary as a whole as an attempt to create disaffection against the said judge and by extension the Judiciary in Ghana as a whole and finds it necessary to set the records straight.”
Speaking at a press conference in Accra, AMJG President, Justice Henry A. Kwofie, said, “This allegation is at once malicious and unfounded and a deliberate attempt to cause disaffection to Justice Honyenuga in particular and the Judiciary in general.”
Justice Kwofie explained that all Supreme Court judges by their condition of appointment since 2013 are entitled to two official vehicles: one SUV and a saloon car.
“All Court of Appeal Judges are entitled to one Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicle whiles High Court Judge are entitled to Toyota Fortuner vehicle as official vehicles.”
The President of AMJG said this year (2021), the Judicial Service ordered seven Toyota Land Cruiser SUV vehicles and 11 Camry saloon cars for Supreme Court Judges who did not have official vehicles.
According to him, those Supreme Court judges who were seven in number were appointed in December 2019 and May 2020 respectively, and one of them was Justice Honyenuga.
“These Toyota Land Cruiser and Camry vehicles arrived in the country on October 15 and 16, 2021 and the Judicial Service allocated them to the seven Supreme Court judges on October 25, this year.”
Justice Kwofie, said Justice Honyenuga was among the judges who were given the vehicles because he was among those appointed on May 22, 2020.
“It is these vehicles allocated to Justice Honyenuga as duty post vehicles which is the source of accusation that he had been given one SUV and a saloon car for the purpose of influencing him to jail accused standing trial before him.
The Association wishes to state that the allocation of the official/ Duty Post vehicles to Honyenuga or any Judge for that matter has nothing to do with any case or cases pending before him or her,” Justice Kwofie stressed.
GNA