Is CJ ‘persecuting’ the Judge who acquitted Ablakwa on the contempt case – Concern Citizens call upon Judicial Service

A leading member of a pressure group known as Concern Citizens, Mr Charles Akowuah Tuffour, is calling on the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo and the Judicial Service, to inquire into what he described as ”suspicious” transfers of Justice Charles Gyamfi Dankwa in recent times.

Justice Charles Gyamfi Dankwa, was the High Court Judge who presided over a remarkable contempt case against the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, which was filed by Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng.

According to Mr Charles Akowuah Tuffour, a leading member of Concern Citizens, the rampant transfer of Justice Charles Gyamfi Dankwa raises an eyebrows for which reason, the group is calling on the Chief Justice to offer the necessary public information on this seemingly act of vindictiveness against the High Court Judge. Mr Charles Akowuah Tuffour added that ”the necessary information from the Chief Justice and the Judicial Services on this issue will curb the perceptions the public have on his rampant transfers which majority of the public perceived to be an act of persecution by the Chief Justice especially on his ruling to dismiss the contempt case against the North Tongu MP”.

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, was acquitted and discharged of contempt of court case filed by Rev. Kusi Boateng, the General Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees.

In that landmark ruling, the High Court presided over by Justice Charles Gyamfi Dankwa, dismissed the contempt application filed by the General Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, who had accused the MP of defaming him.

Justice Charles Gyamfi Dankwa, in his ruling stated that ”the said bailiff – Elis Armah, who served the court processes on the MP was not a recognized officer of the Judicial Service. According to the presiding Justice ”such a move, the court held, was against a directive by the Chief Justice that court processes should be served by official bailiffs of the Judicial Service”.

The presiding Justice, Justice Charles Gyamfi Dankwa, after dismissing the application, further awarded a cost of Gh₵10,000 against Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng in favour of the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Strangely, the Chief Justice, who was not happy with the ruling by the High Court Justice, immediately instructed for the transfer of this High Court Judge from Accra to Sunyani in October, 2023, five months after his ruling.

It is rumored that, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng is widely known to be a close associate of the Chief Justice. The embattled Judge, who had spent 7 years in Tamale as a High Court Judge, was transferred to Accra and was at post barely 2 years in Accra until this ruling.

A reliable report from an undisclosed sources say that on Friday, 16th February, 2024, whilst hearing was ongoing at the Sunyani High Court, the Judge, Justice Charles Gyamfi Darkwa, was suddenly in an unusual way, instructed to adjourn hearing to immediately proceed on a transfer from Sunyani to Bolga. According to close sources, the Chief Justice apparently perceives Justice Charles Gyamfi Darkwa to be a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) per his ruling against Rev. Kusi Boateng and that the Chief Justice is embarking on an exercise to frustrate and punish him for his ruling and alleged association with the opposition NDC.

It will be recalled that on Friday, 3rd February, 2023, at the premises of an Accra based television station, Metro TV, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa rejected a writ of summon from a supposed bailiff.

In a viral video on social media channels, the Member of Parliament was seen kicking the said writ documents faw away from his car after the self acclaimed bailiff attempted to forcefully leave the documents on his car.

Hon. Ablakwa on his Facebook post confirmed that after his program on Metro TV, and when he was about entering his car, he was ambushed by a bailiff who wanted to forcefully handover a court document to him of which he indicated to the bailiff that he will only take that document from him if it was presented to him at his office in Parliament House.

The North Tongu Member of Parliament has been running a series of exposé on Rev. Kusi Boateng about his company dealings as well as his double names of identity with different sets of dates of birth. Hon. Ablakwa first disclosed that Rev. Kusi Boateng bears two names with different dates of birth, using both names legally to transact businesses: something he believes is not morally right as a Man of God.

The Member of Parliament has further questioned some payments made to Rev. Kusi Boateng by the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral and subsequently petitioned Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for thorough investigation on Rev. Kusi Boateng, the General Secretary to the National Cathedral Board of Trustees.