President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has removed Justice  Ayisi Addo, Justice Uuter Paul Dery, and Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh, from office as Justices of the High Court.

The removal of the judges was by letter dated Thursday, December 6, 2018, according to a release signed by Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin.

“This was after the Committee established by the Chief Justice, Justice  Sophia Akuffo, pursuant to Article 146 (4) of the Constitution, to investigate a complaint lodged against the three judges by Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas, recommended their removal from office.

“The President, in accordance with the provisions of Article 146(9) of the Constitution, has acted on the recommendations of the Committee,  as the Constitution enjoins him to do, and has, accordingly, removed the three Justices of the High Court from office on the grounds of bribery and corruption,” said the release.

Photo: Eugene Arhin

According to the Presidency, the Committee concluded that the conduct of the Justice amounted to a criminal offence under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, (Act 29), as amended.

President Akufo-Addo has, thus, directed that a copy of the  Committee's report be submitted to the Criminal InvestigationsDepartment (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for the requisite action to be taken.

Photo: Justice Ayisi Boateng

Judicial corruption scandal

More than 100 members of staff of the Judicial Service were implicated in the judicial corruption scandal that rocked the country in 2015.

Seven High Court judges were suspended and five - Justice Kofi Essel Mensah, Justice Ivy Heward Mills, Justice John Ajet-Nasam, Justice Ernest Obimpeh and Justice Francis K. Opoku - were later sacked in June 2016 based on the advice of the Judicial Council.

Related: Judicial Corruption: High Court judge suspended twice for same offence?

Four High Court judges during the investigations were put on administrative leave.

The affected judges - Justice Uuter Paul Dery, Mustapha Logoh, Charles Quist and Gilbert Ayisi Addo - were put on a half salary, denied their allowances and barred from sitting on the bench.

Several of these judges including Gilbert Ayisi Addo were filmed collecting 2,000 cedi bribe have challenged their suspension in court but the court has since thrown out the cases. 

Photo: Screenshot of Anas's damning video of judges collecting bribes

Then Vice-President Amissah-Arthur went a step further to suspend Gilbert Ayisi Addo in October 2015 based on the advice of the Judicial Council. 

More than two years later, President Nana Akufo-Addo also suspended Gilbert Ayisi Addo as well as the three other High Court judges on administrative leave.