Bawku MP�s Accuser Forced To Represent Self After Lawyer Ban

A Cattle dealer, Sumaila Bielbil, who has one of the four blacklisted lawyers as his counsel was forced to represent himself at the Supreme Court on Monday June 13, 2011 because he could not afford the services of another lawyer. On Thursday May 19, 2011 an Accra High Court Judge refused to hear Dr. Raymond Atuguba, one of the four lawyers accused of making allegations of endemic corruption against the judiciary. The four have been dragged to the General and Legal Council by the Association of Magistrates and Judges to substantiate their claim or face the consequences. In the meantime, the Judges have vowed not to adjudicate on cases involving the four, Raymond Atuguba, Chris Ackumey, Laary Bimi and David Anna, until a full investigation is conducted and the alleged corrupt judges outed or the lawyers punished for making unsubstantiated alleges. Sumaila Bielbil has been in Court since 2008 to prosecute his claim that the Bawku Central MP, Adamu Daramani, holds dual citizenship, which would bar him from being an MP. He told Citi News he will continue to represent himself because lawyers he has approached so far are charging him very high fees. According to him, the turn of events could affect his chances in court as he seeks for justice. �This Honourable Court gives an order that they will not hear any case involving my lawyer and every lawyer I have contacted, the money they demand is so huge and I cannot afford. I am only a cattle dealer and I can�t afford the charges. So I decided to handle the case myself because I need justice to be done� he said. According to Mr. Bielbil, his now-barred lawyer, Dr. Raymond Atuguba, was volunteering his services because they hail from northern Ghana. He however noted that when Dr. Atuguba is cleared, he will ask him to continue the case, but until that happens, he has no choice but to represent himself in Court whiles continuing his search for the services of a lawyer he can afford. Meanwhile, the group Forum for Governance and Justice, which has already petitioned the Chief Justice barely a week ago to rescind the decision of the Magistrates and Judges Association, says it may soon petition Parliament to solve what it calls the victimization of the four lawyers. The Forum believes the decision by the judges is an affront to the Constitution.