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A lawsuit on its way to the court, has alleged the wife of the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin Yeboah, has been abusing the status of her husband in her private business dealings in and around.
Portions of the lawsuit, suggest that the Chief Justice is fully aware of the misconduct of his beloved wife; Phyllis Ofori alias Maame Animah alias ‘Mama’, alias Bonaana but has been encouraging her. She is said to be a Chop Bar operator in the Kumasi Metropolis.
The lawsuit, according to The Herald’s information, is being filed by Lawyer Kwasi Afrifa, the Kumasi-based legal practitioner, who made the startling revelation of the US$5 million cash for justice allegation against the Chief Justice recently.
Excerpts of the writ, which appears leaked ahead of the filing, said that Lawyer Afrifa wants “a declaration that it is wrongful and abusive of his office for the 1st Defendant to permit, direct and positively encourage his wife to use his official title as part of, or an appendage to, her personal business contrary to the ethics and dignity of the high office of Chief Justice of Ghana”.
Portions of the writ seen by The Herald, specifically mentioned the nature of the alleged abuse being perpetuated by the couple.
Lawyer Kwasi Afrifa, disclosed that the Chief Justice had encouraged his wife to rely on and use his status and title as the fourth most important person in the country to transact her private business as a result of which she has caused to be prepared a complimentary card manifestly connecting him to the business which is unrelated to the office of Chief Justice of Ghana, and which has the unmistakable possibility, nay probability and even certainty, of bringing the exalted office of Chief Justice into disrepute, adding “this is a breach of ethics of the highest order and an abuse of office by the 1st Defendant”.
The lawyer, who appears to know the couple very well, further stated that “the 1st Defendant used his position as Chief Justice to demand and receive several shops/stores at the Kumasi City Market {the new reconstructed market at Kejetia) for his wife and several family members contrary to the ethics of his office and thereby bringing the office of Chief Justice into disrepute”.
A Daily Guide newspaper publication in 2013, when the couple got married, mentioned Maame Animah, as one of the most popular women in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital.
Maame Animah, is said to be wealthy and owns a chain of businesses. Mama is the owner of the popular drinking pub in the Garden City, ‘Plus 2’, which is situated near Dakwadwom.
Maame Animah, is also said to be the owner of another popular drinking pub called, ‘Sweet Pub.’
Maame Animah, is the second woman the Chief Justice has married. The first, Avril Lovelace Johnson, is on the Supreme Court bench with the Chief Justice.
It comes amid reports that the Chief Justice, has been sitting on a certiorari filed by Lawyer Afrifa against the General Legal Council’s decision to withdraw his practicing license and suspend him from practicing as lawyer.
Lawyer Kwesi Afrifa, had filed a latest suit at the High Court against the Chief Justice, Kwesi Anin Yeboah (1st Defendant), the General Legal Counsel (GLC) (2nd Defendant) and Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, a Justice of the Supreme Court (3rd Defendant), accusing them of abusing their office to punish him for no wrong done.
In his suit filed on August 24, 2021, Kwesi Afrifa, is praying the court for seven (7) reliefs in total/
First, he is asking the court for “a declaration that it is wrongful, illegal impermissible and abusive of the Office of Chief Justice for the 1st Defendant to use the Judicial Secretary of the Judicial Service established under Article 125 of the Constitution, 1992, as an independent arm of government to file a complaint to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Ghana Police Service at the National Police Headquarters, Accra against the Plaintiff in a matter personal to the 1st Defendant”.
Secondly, “a declaration that the conduct of the 1st Defendant in using panel members of the 2nd Defendant to prosecute a personal matter against the Plaintiff constitutes usurpation of a judicial tribunal and an interference in the administration of justice and is prejudicial to the delivery of justice and independence of the said judicial tribunal contrary to his oath of office, the law and best practices befitting the high office of Chief Justice”.
The third relief he is seeking from the court is “a declaration that the Plaintiff’s response to a purported complaint instigated engineered and directed by the 1st Defendant using one Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta IV as a surrogate dated 1st March, 2021 to the 2nd Defendant is not actionable in law and does not breach any rule of law, practice or prescription”.
Fourth, “a declaration that it is wrongful and abusive of his office for the 1st Defendant to permit, direct and positively encourage his wife to use his official title as part of, or an appendage to, her personal business contrary to the ethics and dignity of the high office of Chief Justice of Ghana”.
Fifth, “a declaration that it is unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional for the 1st Defendant not to make a full frank and comprehensive declaration of his assets prior to his vetting and appointment and that his failure so to do is subversive of good governance and an infraction of the Constitution and laws of Ghana”.
The last two reliefs lawyer Afrifa is asking for from the are “a declaration that the pattern of illegal improper unconstitutional and flagrant disregard for propriety exhibited by the 1st Defendant makes him unfit for the high and exalted office of Chief Justice of Ghana” and “Perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants, their agents, representatives or persons acting at their behest or direction including the Ghana Police Service from interfering with the plaintiff’s inalienable and constitutional rights and freedom of expression as well as an order of injunction restraining the 3rd Defendant from being a part of any panel constituted in relation to all matters between the Plaintiff and the 1st Defendant on grounds of actual and demonstrated bias, prejudice and an intense sense of obligation towards the 1st Defendant which has been demonstrated even in writing”.
According to the statement of claim filed by Mr Afrifa (the Plaintiff), he contends “that the 1st Defendant has been directing and controlling the proceedings of the 2nd Defendant through his lifelong friend, the 3rd Defendant as a result of which the 3rd Defendant has been given information privately by the 1st Defendant which information was brazenly used by the 3rd Defendant at the proceedings of the 2nd Defendant”.
The Plaintiff also contends that “it is wrong, morally-dishonest and ethically abhorrent for the Defendants to singularly and in concert resort to the use of evidence not before the 2nd Defendant as the basis for adjudication with a view to damnifying the Plaintiff in a manner occasioning a substantial miscarriage of justice to the Plaintiff”.
“The Plaintiff further states that by compromising its supposed neutrality the 2nd Defendant has dragged one Michael Anin Yeboah unnecessary and needlessly into the fray and has used him as the basis of a formal charge levied against the Plaintiff by the 2nd Defendant”.
He further “contend that the independent and neutral disposition which should indispensably attach to the Defendants in the conduct of their work has been damaged irreparably thus negating the object duty and performance of public responsibility in a manner destructive of public confidence and trust which should ordinarily attend their activity and/or positions”.
“The integrity, stainless transparency and honesty which should be central and integral to the activities of the Defendants particularly the 2nd and 3rd Defendants in the present circumstance is lost and in its place has been erected a pernicious pillar of seamless, unrelenting and unmitigated conflict of interest and unabashed prejudice and a desire to crucify the Plaintiff and deprive him the use and benefit of the only profession he knows” Mr Afrifa further claimed in his statement.
