Accra: Private legal practitioner Maurice Ampaw has alleged widespread corruption within Ghana's judiciary, claiming that judges are being compromised by external influences including lawyers, litigants, and political pressure. Speaking on GhanaWeb TV's The Lowdown show, Ampaw argued that the issue extends beyond judges demanding money, suggesting that the entire judicial system fosters an environment susceptible to undue influence.
According to Ghana Web, Ampaw stated that judges, like any other citizens, are subject to societal pressures. He questioned whether judges are immune to corruption prevalent in the broader Ghanaian society. Ampaw pointed to litigants and legal practitioners as contributors to judicial corruption, recounting an incident where a client offered a bribe to a judge before the commencement of a case, suggesting a GHS50,000 inducement to ensure a favorable outcome.
Ampaw highlighted that some lawyers exploit these situations by collecting money from clients under the guise of bribing judges but never actually delivering the bribe. He also alleged that political influence has become another form of corruption, with some judges delivering favorable rulings for governments in exchange for career advancement, rather than direct monetary gain.
He claimed that judges under political influence aim to gain the president's favor by making decisions that align with governmental interests, hoping for promotions as a reward. Ampaw shared a personal experience from over a decade ago, where a judge demanded money in exchange for granting bail to one of his clients, involving direct negotiations between the judge and the accused.
Despite his criticisms, Ampaw emphasized that judicial corruption is part of a broader national issue, arguing that corruption is systemic and successive governments have failed to address it effectively, often using it for political leverage.