By Felix Engsalige Nyaaba
Ms Mavis Kwainoe, a Judge legally recognized as a Magistrate at the Accra Central District Magistrates Court, has refused to betray her sacred oath to the Judicial Services as she recused herself from a case of which a party made advances to rope her into the leagues of alleged corrupt judges whose actions had rocked the nation recently through Ana's Armeyaw Ana's Tiger Eye PI.
A sources closed to the corridors of the judiciary services told The Enquirer that, Judge Kwainoe was hearing a case involving two parties, but one of them, in an effort to rope in the young Magistrate in the ongoing investigation alleged corruption scandal, visited her at a car park and in her Chamber with an envelop.
Bequest with high morals and existing ethical guidelines, while remembering her oath of sacred and allegiance to the constitution, Judge Kwainoe sacked the ally of the bribery agents out of her office and notified the authority of her decision to recused herself on the case.
Interestingly, the ring leader in the bribery pry is a former court clerk of the Judge, when she (Judge) was sitting at the then Osu District Magistrate Court as a Judge some years back.
The title of the case before the judge, the sources said is "Alex Bortey and 2 others verse Tawiah Bibio and 5 others.
It was revealed that, on Monday 14th September, at about 7:30 am, the judge arrived at work and while at the Car Park, the bribery team led by a former court clerk ( name withheld) at the then Osu Court, approached the judge and introduced the suppose Alex Bortey and his team.
Unlike other judges who shamelessly defied common decency to trade their nobility for miserable Ghana Cedis and strip the judiciary of its sanctity and potency, judge Kwainoe declined to grant audiences to her former clerk and his bribery agents.
Although the judge turned down a plead by the former clerk, to allow them (agents) to speak to her on matter before her court, the "diehard bribers," followed her to the door steps of her chamber with intense plea.
According to our sources, though the judge did not allow them in, the former clerk forcibly open the door and quickly removed an envelop that he had in his pocket presumably meant to influence the judge to the direction of the case in their favour, but the judge again sacked them and called in some of her court clerks.
The bribery agents, according to the sources after their unsuccessful bribery attempt, hurriedly left the court premises without a word.
But on the day of the case, Judge Kwainoe in an open court told them( Alex Bortey and others) that she would not betray the oath of sacred she took and therefore recused herself on the matter.
"It was so shameful, because it was in an open court and the judge said it to the hearing of everybody present, including counsel for both parties. They were staring at the judge in an utter amazement without word after the judge has expose their motives," the sources stated.
This failed bribery incident occurred, after a Supreme Court judge Jones Dotse made an appeal to the public, especially litigants to stay away from seeing court staff and judges to discuss their cases, with the intention to influence judgments in their favour.
It was further gathered that, after the failed bribery trap, the high moral judge sent a message to the court authorities, through the registrar of the court about her willingness and readiness to recused herself from Alex Bortey and 2 others Verse Tawiah Bibio and 5 others case, citing the bribery attempt and her personally safety and integrity as underlined reasons.
The sources told this paper that, the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, upon receipt of the information about Alex Bortey and his agents alleged conduct, issued a strong letter warning them of possible arrest by police, should such criminal conduct was repeated on her staff, either judge or clerk.
The case, per the sources has since been transferred to another court within the Accra Central Magistrate courts of which Alex Bortey and his allies would face the law as plaintiffs or complainants in the matter.
It was also disclosed that, had it not been the clemency nature of the Chief Justice, who is never in a haste to crack the whip on wrongful persons, Alex Bortey and his bribery agents should have been languishing in police custody, for attempting to bribe a judge on 14th September, this year, over a case which details this paper is withholding on grounds of prejudicial.
Judge Kwainoe stands against bribery had made a plus to the judicial services attempt to wean itself off on public outburst and criticism after the Anas expose and to regain confidence from the public as the only institution to administer justice to all manner of persons without fear or favour.
It also reinforce the statement by the Chief Justice that, all was not lost after the Ana's video and that, there are still several morally upright judges on the bench who would not stoop so low for just "500 Ghana cedi," plus a goat to convict an innocent person or free a hardcore criminal.
The Judicial council led by Chief Justice Georgina Wood, has also since vowed to deal firmly with judges who violates their sacred oaths, specifically Article 151 of the 1992 constitution, shattering the solemn trust and confidence of a whole nation by allowing themselves to sink knee-deep into the quagmire of corruption.
Ana's Armeyaw Ana's and Tiger Eye team, has uncovered massive corruption in the judiciary, the critical arm of Government after almost two years of investigation with a video recently premiered for public viewing.
In the video, staff of the Judicial Service were found to be charging bloated sums of money for services against the approved charges, while clerks and registrars negotiate bribes for themselves and on behalf of their bosses( Judges).
Following that mind boggling exposé of the bribe-taking men-in-wig in the Judiciary, which shook and continues to tumble the foundation of the country legal system, some of the judges had also updated their sense of decency.
So far , some of the affected judges, of both lower and High Courts have been either suspended or removed from office or pending investigations by committee set up by the judicial council.
PIX: Chief Justice, Justice Georgina Theodora Wood.
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