Corrupt Judges Must Be Imprisoned

Dr. Abdullahi Shehu with Chief Justice Georgina Wood

Source: Globalnewsreel.com

The promotion of accountability and discipline in the judiciary has called for ruthless prosecution, imprisonment and onward removal from office, judges who are found guilty of corrupt practices in their jurisdictions.

However, allegations against judges, according to Ghana’s Lady Chief Justice, Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood must be rigorously investigated by prosecutors and an independent body.

In addition, their removal process should be transparent and fair with strict and exacting standards.

She observed at the opening session of a five-day regional capacity building seminar on corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing for selected judges from the five West African English speaking countries including The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, that judges who should condemn such acts have rather taken keen interest in amassing illegal wealth.

Speaking on “The Role of Judges in the Prevention and Control of Corruption, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing” in Accra Monday, Mrs. Wood admitted that the negative impact of judges on corruption discredited the judicial system of the African continent.

“To have those of us mandated to demonstrate in unambiguous terms that crime is unprofitable business abandon our God given roles, and rather actively join the baneful corruption bandwagon spells doom for our beloved continent,” Mrs. Wood stated.

The 2013 Global Corruption Barometer (Perception Index) by Transparency International once again, revealed an unending corruption within the judicial set up across the African region.

During this five-day period of intensive training, organized by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) from July 22 to 26, the judges would be schooled on corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing.

It is expected that at the end of the seminar, the judges’ capacity to effectively handle economic and financial crime cases, particularly matters relating to terrorist financing, would have improved.

About 280 judges, responsible for the adjudication of cases involving money laundering and terrorist financing in their respective countries have benefited from the programs so far.

Moreover, the Lady Chief Justice could not decipher how a corrupt judge could make any positive impact in the fight against the canker.

And therefore, “I call upon constitutional bodies with responsibility over our judiciaries not to shy of removing errant judges who use the high office they occupy and the enormous powers they wield to engage in unwholesome acts that undermine the sanctity of the state. Court users must refuse to pay bribes to court officials, Judges and whistle–blowers and citizens alike must be prepared to expose judges and other court officials who engage in these activities.”

Mrs. Wood reminded her colleague judges that “a coherent and coordinated response to these threats through the sharing of ideas, experiences and best practices and renewing our collective resolve to fight the threat and preserve the peace and order in our respective societies is the best way forward.”

Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Intelligence Centre in Ghana, Mr. Samuel Thompson Essel also noted that addressing the issues of corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing and other organized crimes effectively and efficiently, required “the indispensable cooperation and collaboration among the constituents of the criminal justice system and other competent authorities such as the Financial Intelligence Centre/Units.”

Director-General of GIABA, Abdullahi Shehu thanked the Ghanaian authorities for giving the necessary support to the Financial Intelligence Centre and all GIABA activities in combating money laundering in the country.

In her goodwill message, Justice Amie Joof, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from The Gambia indicated that the existence and driving force of corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing was counterproductive of the ideals of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) including extreme poverty eradication, reducing child mortality, achieving universal primary education, empowering women among others.

“Consequently, if these goals must be attained, then every government must put in place measures to fight and curb the nuisance perpetrated by corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing because these nuisances sap the economies of the potentials to positively affect and impact the well being and well fair of its citizens and peoples, which is fundamental to national and regional growth,” she admonished.