Audio By Carbonatix
Embattled High Court judge, Justice Paul Uuter Dery, has filed another suit at the High Court seeking to stop the screening of a video allegedly detailing judicial bribery.
Justice Dery’s latest suit is brought against the Director of Estates and General Services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Manager of the Accra International Conference Centre and the Attorney-General.
He is one of 12 High Court judges (two of them now on retirement), who were filmed by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas allegedly receiving bribes to tamper with justice.
The video is scheduled to be shown to the public at the Accra International Conference Centre on September 22 and 23.
But Justice Dery, who in a previous suit argued the filming was done in violation of his right to privacy, wants a declaration from the High Court "that the intended public screening of the contents of the audio-visual recordings to the public by Tiger Eye PI at the Accra International Conference Centre is prejudicial to” his right to fair hearing.
He also wants an "order restraining the Defendants, their privies and assigns from carrying out or making the Accra International Conference Centre available for the intended public screening of the said illegally and unlawfully procured audio-visual recordings on the 22nd and 23rd of September, 2015."
In his statement of claim, Justice Dery said, he wanted the screening of the video stopped because of his action in the High court against the Tiger Eye PI, the Chief Justice and the Attorney-General challenging the lawfulness of the audio-video recordings.
He argues that the screening of the video at the conference centre is "illegal and only meant to incite public hatred against" him.
According to the judge, allowing Tiger Eye PI to show the video to the public will prejudice the ongoing investigations initiated by a committee set up by the Judicial Council as part of the impeachment process, by portraying him as guilty of the offence of bribery.
He claimed that Anas and his Tiger Eye PI obtained the recordings illegally and maliciously with the objective of causing him to be impeached.
Invoking Article 146 (8) of the 1992 Constitution, Justice Dery said "any petition and proceedings for his removal as a justice of the High Court are by law confidential and must be held in camera."
He contends that this confidentiality attached to the impeachment proceedings also extends to documents and other relevant materials to be relied on in the proceedings.
He, therefore, "contends that the audio-visual recordings are to be treated with much confidentiality and should not be screened to the public."
Justice Dery and his lawyer, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo are therefore praying the High Court to grant them a perpetual injunction against the screening of the video.
The defendants have eight days to file their responses to the writ.
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