CJ Should Act On NPP Petition

President of the Greater Accra Ghana Bar Association, Lawyer Frank Davies has called for an administrative inquiry into the allegation that the minister for gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur was used as conduit to influence the verdict of the 9 member panel of judges on the election petition. On a leaked tape containing the voice of sacked Deputy Communications Minister, Vicky Hamah, she alleged that Nana Oye Lithur was very instrumental in the determination of the verdict of the nine Supreme Court Justices who handled the landmark 2012 election petition. Though, Nana Oye Lithur has denied the allegation, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have officially petitioned the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood to investigate the issue. It is against this backdrop, President of the Greater Accra Bar Association, Lawyer Frank Davies admonished the Chief Justice not to treat the issue as one of such political gossips. �What we have heard is that serious so we should not take it as one of the lame and idle political gossip talks; it is very serious; this is a matter which is coming from a deputy Minister of State and when a deputy Minister of State of the ruling government makes such a statement I don�t think is something we should take lightly.� Mr. Davis says the Chief Justice should protect the integrity of the Judiciary by investigating the issue at hand. �We are dealing with the independence of the judiciary another arm of government and we are dealing with matters regarding justice so if such statement has been made it is only imperative that of course investigations are conducted.� The Greater Accra Ghana Bar Association President said he would be disappointed in the Chief Justice if she ignores the NPP�s petition. �I personally will be very disappointed; let me draw an analogy; we were in this country with the greatest of respect when Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata was sentenced to a jail term; there were some undercurrents which came over that the Judge who handed down the judgement got a telephone call and because of that the telephone call influenced her decision and all that.� He recalled, �An administrative inquiry was set up to investigate that complaint; I think when matters happen we should take them in context and don�t think that people are doing politics; these are serious matters; I have a stake in this matter, this is a matter concerning the Judiciary and I am an officer of the court so I have to be concerned.�