Why Jasikan Judge Was Fired

 

Details have emerged about the petition sent to the Chief Justice about the Jasikan Circuit Court Judge, Alfred Kwabena Asiedu, which led to his ultimate dismissal.

The petition, filed in January this year, detailed very questionable acts by the judge which bothered on unprofessional conduct and a recipe for bias.

The petitioner, Singari Diana Sadia, 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.

The main cause of the breakdown in the somewhat quid pro quo relationship between the two appeared to be the theft of four cows which the judge had bought through the lady, but left in the care of a cattle rearer.

Mr. Asiedu was dismissed from the Judicial Service for his inappropriate conduct in the handling of a divorce case filed by 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.

Petition

The petition indicates that the whole relation began when the petitioner filed the divorce proceedings before the court and the judge after meeting the lady in his chambers demanded GH¢8,000 so he could decide the case in her favour.

According to the lady, she told him she could not afford the amount, but that did not stop the two from exchanging contacts.

The lady said she later met the judge at Worawora upon his request, and the judge demanded sex in place of the money requested since she could not afford same, “so that he will try the case in my favour.”

“He then started fondling my breast. On that day he slept with me at Worawora, and from then we were communicating as somebody and her boyfriend,” Madam Singari revealed in her petition.

Mr. Asiedu was true to his word as he indeed tried the case in favour of the lady and awarded GH¢27,000 in her favour against the husband.

But the judge had other plans as he subtly requested a loan of GH¢5,000 a week after ruling on the divorce proceedings, and the lady was magnanimous enough to hand it to him.

Mr. Asiedu later picked Madam Singari to Kete Krachi where they spent the night at a hotel. She, however, does not remember the name of the hotel.

On their way back the next day, the two came across a herd of cattle and the judge expressed interest in investing in same, and Madam Sangari having indicated that her dad was into same business offered to help the judge if he was indeed interested.

The judge gave her money and she bought a total of four cows, which was left in the care of a cattle rearer named Chomor, who later ran away with the animals.

This appears to be the breaking point as the judge told the lady he was done with her, and the lady demanded answers as to why he was done with her after destroying her marriage.

The judge offered no explanation but rather asked Madam Singari to produce the missing four cows, and when she was unable to do so, he caused her arrest and threatened to remand her for two weeks, make sure she is jailed for 10 years and also see to it that her five-year-old daughter was taken away from her.

The lady then decided to seek refuge by filing a complaint against the judge, which eventually led to him being hauled before the Disciplinary Committee of the Judicial Council.

The Council later found him culpable in the complaint against him and recommended his dismissal.

BY Gibril Abdul Razak