Reliable sources close to the Attorney-General, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, say she has recused herself from the committee set up by the Chief Justice to probe various allegations of judicial tampering in the 2012 election petition.

According to the sources, Mrs Appiah-Oppong, who until her appointment as A-G was a partner at Lithur Brew and Company, the law firm that represented President John Mahama in the petition, believes recusing herself from the committee is the proper thing to do.

The A-G, the sources told Myjoyonline.com, does not want to be caught in a conflict of interest situation.

The Deputy A-G, Dr. Domic Ayine, our sources say, will not be replacing Mrs. Appiah-Oppong for the same reasons.

Dr. Ayine, himself is a senior partner at Ayine and Feli, a law firm where another member of the President’s legal team, Dr. Basit Aziz Bamba, practises.

The eight member panel was constituted at an emergency meeting by the Judicial Council on Thursday, November 14, 2013, following a petition filed by the opposition New Patriotic Party asking the CJ to institute a probe into claims of judicial tampering by dismissed Deputy Communications Minister, Victoria Hamah.

Ms. Hamah, in comments on a leaked tape, said she had heard that Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Nana Oye Lithur, met with the justices of the Supreme Court hearing the election petition prior to the verdict.

She said the Minister, whose husband, Mr Tony Lithur, was the lead counsel for the first respondent, President John Mahama, in the petition, may have influenced the outcome of the case. The ruling was 5-4 in favour of the respondents; President Mahama, the Electoral Commission and the National Democratic Congress.

Mrs Lithur has denied the allegations but the NPP said the denial was not enough.

The General Secretary of the party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, said he was not expecting Nana Oye Lithur to admit to things attributed to her by Ms. Hamah.

He said it was important that the claims of the sacked deputy minister were investigated in order to maintain the sanctity of the judiciary and integrity of the judges.

Acting on the petition and adopting the proposal of the CJ, the Appointments and Disciplinary Committee, set up a committee to undertake an administrative inquiry into the allegations.

By virtue of her position as the Attorney-General, Mrs Appiah-Oppong, was an automatic member of the committee.

But she has recused herself.