Anas’ Video was concocted – Lawyer for accused judges

Source: citifmonline.com - The latest twist to the unraveling bribery scandal in the judiciary is that, the lead lawyer for the 14 judges challenging the process, has said Anas Arimeryaw’s video was concocted.

The lawyer, Charles Kwesi Bentum argues that the said video evidence lacks coherence, hence leaves doubts over the allegations of corruption leveled against the judges and magistrates.

14 of the implicated judges have sued the Judicial Council, challenging the processes leading their suspension.
Speaking on The Big Issue, lawyer Charles Bentum stated that the inconsistencies presented in the video evidence gives credence to their assumption.

“We believe this video is concocted, we believe so because what is being seen cannot be a fair representation of the facts that are being alleged,” he stated.

“…You see the registrar’s face counting money and then you see a break and the next picture you see is a judge sitting down in his chair and then the next moment the video ends and you don’t see what happens next with the money you saw being counted, and you can’t hear any sound,” Mr. Bentum narrated.

Giving reasons to support their call for the procedure to be halted, Mr. Charles Bentum was also of the opinion that the judges should have been given prior access to the video evidence.

“It would have been better in any case if these tapes were handed over to these judges and magistrates to examine them, look at its authenticity to ensure that what it contains represents the allegations as has been leveled against them,” he said.

Lawyers for the implicated judges have filed a writ at the Fast Track Division of the Accra High Court seeking reliefs to declare the disciplinary proceedings as running contrary to law.

They are also seeking that the court declares their suspension “null and void.”

Meanwhile three of the judges were on Friday cleared of engaging in any act of misconduct.