Some 22 of the Ghanaian judges allegedly caught on camera asking for bribes have been shown the videos at the start of the investigation, judicial sources have told the BBC.

The hearing has been held behind closed doors at the Supreme Court; the judges' responses have not been made public.

A total of 34 judges and magistrates have been accused after a two-year investigation by a local journalist.

It is the biggest scandal in the history of Ghana's judiciary.

The BBC's Sammy Darko reports from Accra that a total of 180 court officials are facing dismissal procedures, in a case that has gripped the attention of Ghanaians.

The hearing is being held behind closed doors within the Supreme Court buildings

The 22 lower court judges and magistrates have been suspended pending the investigation.

The 12 accused High Court judges have until Monday to submit their written responses to the accusations.

Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood will then examine their responses before deciding whether to open a formal investigation into the accusations, in which case, they would also be suspended, our correspondent says.

He says each of the accused judges has only been shown the portions concerning them.

The accused judges attended the hearings accompanied by their lawyers.

Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas says he has nearly 500 hours of video evidence on tape, which had been handed over to the chief justice.

The attorney-general has granted him immunity under the whistle-blower act to pursue the story.

Our correspondent says the issue now is whether Mr Anas should go ahead and broadcast the video as he has said he will.
Some fear showing it will gravely undermine the authority of the court, he says.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34210925

Ok

PMB just got back from Ghana, abi?

Just wait, someone will soon come and tell us it is PMB's body language that undid these judges.

:-)

Ghana's judicial council is to start an inquiry into corruption in the judiciary after a two-year investigation by a top journalist.

Anas Aremeyaw Anas's investigation alleges that 34 judges have taken bribes and extorted money.

He says he has nearly 500 hours of video evidence on tape, which have been handed over to the chief justice.

The attorney-general has granted the journalist immunity under the whistle-blower act to pursue the story.

Chief justice Georgina Theodora Wood has summoned the 12 high court judges and 22 lower court justices implicated in

Mr Anas's investigation, which has yet to be broadcast, to appear before the judicial council on Thursday.

None of the judges implicated have so far commented on the allegations.

The BBC's Sammy Darko in Accra says during his investigation Mr Anas, who is also a lawyer, approached the judges offering bribes if they agreed to set his purported clients free.

In some instances, he pretended to be a litigant and offered bribes.

Deputy Attorney-General Dominic Ayine confirmed to the BBC that Mr Anas was granted immunity two weeks ago.

The journalist then followed a constitutional process to ensure that all the judges he named would be officially investigated by petitioning both the president and chief justice, our correspondent says.

Allegations of corruption in the judiciary are not new in Ghana - but it has been difficult to provide hard evidence to the judicial council, he says.

Ace Ankomah, from one of Ghana's biggest law firms Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa and Ankomah, told the BBC the investigation was a good opportunity to root out corruption
.
"Corruption is like a cancer. You treat a cancer with chemotherapy. Tomorrow the judges are being called to face disciplinary committees. That is what gives me confidence, that things can be fixed."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34200721

I am waiting for a Nigerian to carry out a similar operation on our judges.

Our very vocal lawyers should pick up the gauntlet.

We also need a whistle blower act.

Ghanaian/Africa should stand up against corruption

This guy is really cleaning Ghana. his facts are so hard and undeniable.