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Anas Aremeyaw Anas Reports From Ashaiman Court

It is more honourable to be the accomplice of a thief than be the judge who takes bribe to acquit the thief. It is an indefensible collusion and self-degrading complicity in crime, which no self-respecting person would contemplate.

This is because no one is safe; not even the most successful judge, in a world of thieves. Just imagine it! The pains of years of arduous and honest gathering and eventual acquisition ground to naught when a thief strikes. Dreams fulfilled at last after years of self-sacrifice and meticulous focus fizzle out in just a day, all because of thieves! Not all are able to survive such shocks. A thief is therefore a very dangerous element in every society. It is even worse when he is armed, not only with a weapon but also with the assurance of walking free from Judge Albert’s court if caught.

It was a usual sunny afternoon in Accra when the team set its cameras around the Ashaiman courts. The place was characteristically quiet- the cases for that day were few.

One thing was clear all through our investigations- a person must not necessarily have a personal case to approach court officials, even judges, to help them 'do something' about cases pending in the courts.

The Ashaiman story exposed a certain measure of lack of depth on the part of the clerk (one Thomas) and the judge (Mr. Albert).Tiger sat through court sessions. It was a case of theft.

Case Title: The republic vs. Jamal Adams

Tiger monitored the court session and realized the accused had failed to appear before court. When the case was called, a relative just rose to give an excuse that the accused was sick and couldn't make it to the court.

For us, the sick judicial system was of more importance to us. Tiger was poised to put it to the test. The process was kick - started by a meeting with the very busy court clerk called Thomas.


Clerk Thomas' Insatiable Craving For Money

The clerk seemed to be in a hurry on our first meeting, so exchanges with Tiger bordered on the next adjourned date; he gave us concrete assurances that as soon as we had our bribe money ready, seeing the judge was a 'small matter.'

Thomas later notified us that to be able to see the judge, we had to cough up GHc 500.00 cash. But before that, he made demands for his own share of the booty. Tiger managed to convince him that soon as we were done with the judge, his share would be rolled out. He agreed.

On the next adjourned date, we gathered the GHc 500.00 bribe sum and met with Thomas, our very effective and busy connection man on the case.

Undercover In The Ashaiman Bribe Chat Room (Hidden Camera Footage)

Like Thomas, the judge came across as someone who had enough time to go into the merits of particular cases. Tiger knew little about the case, yet managed to convince the judge that he really had been sent by the uncle of the accused to see him (the judge)

Judge Albert: Afternoon, how are you?
Tiger: I am fine.

Judge Albert: I am coming.
Tiger: Ok. I came for this case (involving) Jamal Adams, Republic vs Jamal Adams. He is my uncle and he is not well.

Judge Albert: What offence is that and what do you know about him?
Tiger: Actually, I wasn’t with them so I just came and my other (uncle) called me to come. Actually, for me I know that he is having a case in this court. I don’t know what offence it is but last week, we came.

Judge Albert: But he didn’t come.
Tiger: Yes, he was in the hospital and Lukman Iddris came into the box and represented him.

Judge Albert: Who?
Tiger: Lukman Iddris, I said he represented him on that day. He was the one you were asking the meaning of Lukman so he said I should come and talk to you because we wanted to take him out of the country for further treatment.

Judge Albert: It is about what?
Tiger: Asthma

Judge Albert: The case is about what; or you don’t know?
Tiger: That is why I said for me I know that he is having case in this court.

Judge Albert: You can’t tell.
Tiger: Yes.

Judge Albert: You said the name of the accused is?
Tiger: Jamal Adams vs. Republic
Judge Albert: Without the offence. The other day that you came… it came on when?
Tiger: Was it Thursday or so? It was Thursday. But hearing was adjourned to 25th of this month.

Judge Albert: Is it 20th?
Tiger: 25th

Judge Albert: Call this people for me; they should look for this case.


A Faulty Camera, Lost Footage And The Plan To Recapture The Judge (Hidden Camera Footage)

A technical hitch waylaid us at this point. After the interaction, the part in which Tiger was handing over the agreed amount of GHc 500.00 to him, was not captured, as we found out later. Our camera had failed to capture this most important part of the conversation!

Tiger, in order to get the hardcore evidence needed in sensitive matters like this, re-strategized on how to revisit the court and get the needed footage. The plan was to go back with GHc 200.00 under the pretext that Tiger's uncle said the initial GHc 500.00 was too small, hence the GHc 200.00 was to be a top up.

Thomas who had been paid GHc 100.00 after his boss received GHc 500.00, did not know about our second visit but we convinced him that it was on the instructions of the judge that we were there.

He believed Tiger's story and allowed us into the judges' office, yet in reality, we had bumped into the judge as he was not expecting us. Another brief interaction and the evidence was safely in our system.

A confirmation of Ghc 500.00 and a further acceptance of Ghc 200.00 - a paltry GHc 700.00 to twitch the laws that he had sworn to defend and protect. The judge turned out to be a very interesting character even for the very short period that we interacted.

Judge Albert: The name again?
Tiger: Abdul Rahman. Good morning.

Judge Albert: Morning. Sit down. He said you forgot something.
Tiger: Yes, my Lord.
Judge Albert: What is it?

Tiger: I spoke to my uncle when I left here so I have told him (about) the GHc 500.00.00 that I gave you. He said it is not enough, that I should come and add additional 200.00, so that is why I came.
(Tiger hands over money to the judge)
Judge Albert: But you should have called me.

Tiger: Yes, but he said I should tell you that he wanted to give you a goat but we cannot bring it here so he said I should inform you
Judge Albert: Ok so you give me your number so that when I need it, I would call you because we have a funeral next month. You are from where?

Tiger: Tamale.
Judge Albert: I am from Bolga.

Tiger: Yeah.
Judge Albert: Do you know Bolga?

Tiger: I have been there once.
Judge Albert: You call me the day before and remind me but you have the number?

Tiger: Yes sir, I will call you. So if we prepare the goat, I will inform you so you will tell us where we would bring it because we don’t know where your house is.
Judge Albert: I stay at Sakumono.

Tiger: Where?
Judge Albert: Sakumono.

Tiger: But he said I should tell you that this is just a pepsodent.
Tiger and Judge: Laughing.

Judge Albert: You don’t worry once you are from Tamale; am also from Bolga so we are the same but the number is with you?
Tiger: Yes sir. But, please ok I would just store it.

Judge Albert: Anything?
Tiger: I was to ask of your name.

Judge Albert: Albert or Judge or whatever you want to store it.
Tiger: That is why I said it is ok. Thank you.

The Ashaiman judge who Tiger is convinced knows the words of the national anthem certainly but had forgotten about "bold to defend forever, the cause of freedom and of right" like many others, was the cause of crime and corruption, sadly; these are the very esteemed people we go to for adjudication!

It would be recalled that in the…edition of The New Crusading Guide, Undercover – ‘Ghana In The Eyes of God’ broke. The story said that over 170 staff and judges of the judicial service would be unmasked for various acts of corruption that they have been engaged in.

This particular investigation lasted over two years, and the team headed by our ace undercover reporter Anas Aremeyaw Anas combed through the length and breadth of Ghana. The painstaking nationwide operation covered the northern sector (Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions) the middle sector (Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern and Volta Regions) and the southern sector (Western, Central and Greater Accra Regions)

All efforts to get his contact to react with his side of the story have proven unsuccessful.

God bless Ghana.