The Judicial Service of Ghana(JSG) has addressed controversies surrounding the transfer of Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori, a judge who presided over the criminal trial of Alex Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka for bribery.
Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka, President Akufo-Addo’s nominee for Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Juaben in the Ashanti Region, was charged with 26 counts of election-related corruption by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The trial concluded with judgment initially scheduled for Thursday, November 28, 2024. However, the parties arrived in court only to learn that the presiding judge had been transferred and replaced by a new judge.
News about the sudden transfer sparked concerns among a section of Ghanaians.
According to the Service, the reports are misleading and create the impression of ill motives to the Chief Justice’s exercise of her administrative mandate to transfer Judges.
In a statement, JSG explained that administratively, transfer of judges is done annually and or when they are necessitated by the circumstances of judges or the court they serve in.
“In every case, Judges on transfer are supposed to deliver judgments in cases they have completed and to complete cases they have heard close to completion.
“There are standard procedures for transferred Judges to follow, including submission of a Case Completion Plan, to the Office of the Chief Justice, which allows a warrant to be issued to the Judge to deliver outstanding judgments and rulings, and to complete trials that are near completion,” portions of the statement read.
The statement added that just like other transfers within the Judiciary, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori has been transferred from Kumasi to Accra.
Read the full statement below:
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