A former Mayor of Accra, Hon. Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson has allegedly been accused of influencing a Kumasi based High Court Judge, Justice Ali Baba Abature to tilt a ruling in favour of a party involved in a Chieftaincy dispute before his court.
The Case in question involves two parties who are staking claim to the Abola stool of the Ga state and the Former Accra Mayor is fingered to be the chief influencer to the current illegitimate Abola Mantse, Nii Ahele Nunoo III, in Court.
The Abola Akwatste We (Clan) is claiming legitimacy to the Ga Abola Royal Stool which is currently being occupied by Nii Ahele Nunoo III, who comes from the Nansiedu Clan.
According to the elders of Abola Akwatse We (Clan) it is their turn to ascend to the throne since the last Abola Mantse who left the stool as a result of his demise was from the Nansiedu Clan.
The Judicial Committee of the Greater Accra House of Chiefs had earlier referred the matter to arbitration but the order was ignored which subsequently led to the forcible swearing in and gazetting of Nii Ahele Nunoo III as the legitimate Chief of Abola Stool by the Ga Traditional Council.
The Abola Akwatste We (Clan) feeling dissatisfied with action of the Ga Traditional Council, proceeded to the High Court with their challenge.
According to the Abola Akwatse We (Clan), despite the backing of the Nansiedu Clan by the Ga Traditional Council and government apparatchiks, they didn’t resort to violence or illegitimate means but rather to the courts which they were sure and assured of victory through various interactions with the judge and other judicial staff based on their evidence.
According to them, (Akwatse We Clan), they were taken by surprise when the learned trial Judge, Ali Baba Abature under strange circumstances believed to be through the machinations of the former Accra Mayor, from the Regional house of Chiefs through to the High Court gave judgement in favor of the Nansiedu Clan in their absence, an action which further heightened their suspicion.
Justice Ali Baba Abature, who until his call to the bench, was a Public Relations Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly under the tenure of Adjiri Blankson, and is believed to have succumbed to the bidding of his former Boss to rule in favour of the Abola Nsiedu clan, who are alleged to be his protégé in Government, including the current Ga Mantse, Nii Teiko Tsuru.
The Abola Akwatse we Clan have alleged that they have incontrovertible evidence to back their claim and in the coming days will make it public. The case is on appeal at the Appeals Court in Kumasi.
The allegation by the Abola Akwatse Clan if it is anything to go by, goes contrary to the Chief Justice, Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo’s continuous admonition to judicial officials to desist from abusing their powers for personal gains, such as accepting bribes, manipulating cases, or favouring certain parties.
It appears and keeps getting increasingly crystal clear that judicial corruption is still rife within some courts in Ghana.
A leaked voice recording making rounds captures a court clerk from a Kumasi high court (Justice Ali Baba Abature’s court) extorting sums of money from a Rep of the Abola Akwatse We Clan under the pretext of influencing the court judgement.
The alleged secret tape contains series of conversations with various parties involved by the Court Clerk about the court case. The Court clerk caught on tape, was bold to have further mentioned that he was taking the money to sort out the judicial staff who worked to produce ruling papers.
The explosive aspect of the whole conversation is the alleged mentioning of the former Mayor of Accra Hon. Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson, as the one who allegedly influenced the learned judge, Justice Ali Baba Abature as well as the final judgment given in favor of the Abola Nsiedu Clan despite every evidence.
It is further alleged that since Justice Ali Baba Abature is a close ally, and was once the spokesperson of Hon. Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson during his days as the Accra Mayor, the conduct and his antics as a judge on the case clearly sparks of a huge conflict of interest.
The move by Adjiri Blankson is believed to be linked to various antics and tactics been put in place by the Ga Traditional Council to legitimise the rule of the current Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru, whose capacity is also being challenged in Court. Hon, Adjiri Blankson is the direct brother of the Late Jo Blankson (King Tackie Tawiah III) whose legitimacy as Ga King was challenged until his demise and was never accorded a Royal burial.
See supporting Background of the case:
