A private legal practitioner, Lawyer Sampson Lardi Anyenini says he is shocked the petition by the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) to have Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah removed traveled that wide.

ASEPA few weeks ago petitioned the Presidency and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the CJ after a Lawyer Akwasi Afrifa fingered him in a US$5million bribery allegation.

Although CHRAJ took up the matter and starting investigations, it has through a letter to ASEPA noted that it won’t continue with the probe.

Making reference to another petition file by ASEPA to the office of the President for the impeachment of the CJ, CHRAJ says it will not want to crisscross the work of the committee set up to look into the matter.

“Since the matter is pending in the appropriate constitutional forum, the Commission, in exercise of its discretion under Section 13 of Act 456, hereby ceases to investigate the complaint any further as the invocation of the Article 146 proceedings has effectively taken the matter out the forum of the Commission” part of the Commission’s letter to ASEPA has said.

ASEPA’s petition to the President to remove the Chief Justice over allegations of the $5 million bribe has also been thrown out on Monday, August 23.

After receiving a report from a committee that looked into the matter to find out if there was a prima facie case, President Akufo-Addo said the petition lacked basis.

The report concluded that ASEPA’s petition for the removal of the Chief Justice on the grounds of “stated misbehavior” is “frivolous and vexatious”, “does not meet the prima facie standard envisaged under Article 146 (6) of the Constitution and thus, ought to be dismissed in limine”.

Having monitored the development in the media and the report of the committee, Lawyer Sampson Lardi Anyenini has shared his thoughts on ASEPA v CJ matter.

According to him, he is shocked the petition travelled this length and received this much attention when it was only based on rumours and not facts.

“I have just done a quick read through a 12-page (+cover letter) prima facie determination on the petition for removal of the CJ. It supports my prediction and professional expectation,” a post on the Facebook post of Lawyer Sampson Lardi Anyenini has said.

It continues, “But I am sincerely shocked it got this much attention – 12-pages?! If article 146 impeachment were to be reduced to such a joke, which liable office-holder will have any space to work?

“All anybody needed to do will be to file a petition based on nothing but rumour and hearsay without supplying a scintilla of evidence in support.

“Put yourself in that place where someone simply throws words on paper accusing you of misconduct or crime and that is the only basis for you to be put on trial.

“You may google up my article on the article 146 process.”