Supreme Court describes conduct of Tema High Court judge as ‘shameful,’ calls for investigation

 

The Supreme Court has strongly condemned the actions of Justice Emmanuel Ankamah, who presided over the case of the Estate of Rev. Emmanuel Dorgadzi (deceased) at the Tema High Court, describing his conduct as “shameful.” Justice Ankamah, currently serving as a Justice of the Court of Appeal, has been referred for investigation by the Supreme Court due to his handling of a matter outside his jurisdiction.

The five-member panel, chaired by retired Justice Jones Victor Dotse, also criticized the behavior of the judge and the Clerk at the time, Sebastian Agbo, describing it as “sordid.” In a detailed ruling released on June 12, 2023, the Supreme Court provided its reasoning for calling for the investigation.

Justice Jones Dotse’s panel recommended that the Chief Justice initiate further investigations into the conduct of Justice Ankamah and Sebastian Agbo, as well as all other officers involved in the reprehensible actions. The panel urged the Chief Justice to also examine the apparent undervaluation of the deceased’s estate by the interested parties and requested an explanation from the counsel who filed the application on behalf of those parties regarding the basis of the property valuations.

The Supreme Court further advised the Judicial Service to investigate the circumstances that led to the interdiction of Sebastian Agbo during his tenure as Registrar of the High Court in Tema.

The applicants sought several reliefs from the Supreme Court, including the quashing of orders and proceedings of the High Court in Tema, the prohibition of Justice Ankamah and the Registrar of the High Court in Tema from further involvement in the case, and the cancellation of Letters of Administration issued by the court to the interested parties.

The grounds of the application presented by the applicants highlighted the failure of the learned trial Judge to observe the principles of natural justice, particularly the audi alteram partem rule, as well as claims of lack of jurisdiction and jurisdictional errors in the handling of the estate.

 

The Supreme Court concluded that the conduct exhibited by Justice Ankamah warranted his prohibition from further involvement in the case before the High Court in Tema or any other forum. The court’s unanimous decision granted the applicants the orders for Certiorari and Prohibition, effectively quashing the proceedings and orders made by Justice Ankamah and prohibiting him from any future involvement in the suit or related matters.