I don't think Muntaka's Judge bribery allegations are true - Sophia Akuffo

A former Chief Justice, Ms Sophia Akuffo, has expressed displeasure with the allegation made by NDC MP for Asawase, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka that a Supreme Court Judge offered to bribe his colleague MP in attempt to influence the outcome of the election of a Speaker for the 8th Parliament.

According to Ms Akuffo, Muntaka's allegation has defamed other innocent Judges of the Supreme Court who have built a reputation for themselves over the years.

As carried in a publication by Graphic.com,  the former Chief Justice said, “They [judges] must be very upset, if I was still there, I'd be upset. I'm not there any more but I'm still upset at the very thought that, that kind of accusation will be made."

"I don’t like accusations like that. It is like throwing a bucket of dirty water at people and you were aiming at somebody but you just threw it and it dirties up everybody.”

"If it is true, be bold. If you are going to talk about it, if you are going to mention it, if you are going to bring it into the public domain, say everything that has to be said."

"You don't have to, I know of eh!, a Supreme Court..., there are, how many of them now, there are 17 people you have defamed in that casual manner but you are talking about only one person so there are 16 people who have been wrongly done by you,” she said.

"I have confirmation that the Chief Justice is looking into it and has written to the Parliamentarian to make himself available to produce the facts, yes."

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Ms Sophia Akuffo, however, insisted that if these claims by the MP were true, he should be bold and mention the name of the judge rather than generalize it.

In an interview with Accra based Joy News last Sunday, (Jan 10, 2021), NDC MP for Asawase, Mr Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, accused a Justice of the Supreme Court of attempting to 'bribe' a colleague NDC MP to vote for Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye as the Speaker.

“Shamefully, a Supreme Court judge called a lady colleague telling her what they will give her, if she votes for Prof Mike Oquaye. He told her that, they will help her take care of her children. She can take fuel from a filling station for free for the next four years" he said as quoted by graphic.com.

However, Ms Akuffo, also in an interview with Joynews strongly rejected the accusation and described the claim as “bizarre”.

She also indicated that the Chief justice is looking into the matter and has written to the MP to make himself available to assist in investigation.