One of the high-profile judges caught in the alleged bribery and corruption scandal that has rocked Ghana’s judiciary is still fighting the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council over his impeachment as suggested by the investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
So far, Justice Paul Uuter Dery has managed to stop the impeachment process being initiated against him in the interim in his determination to clear his name once and for all.
This follows the Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Tiger Eye PI bombshell that the embattled judge is part of the ‘bribe-taking’ syndicate that has infested the administration of justice in the country.
As captured on the video recordings by Anas, Justice Dery was planning to ‘sideline’ the clerk who linked the investigative journalist to him.
In the transcript of the mind-blowing audio-visuals released by Anas and his Tiger Eye PI group, Justice Dery appeared unhappy with his clerk, referred to in the secret tape as Mayor, who he suspected was demanding more cash and bringing him (judge) just a little.
The Deal
In a deal among the judge, the clerk and the undercover journalist, a suspected criminal, Kwame Dzato, was going to be set free after the clerk had negotiated for GH¢13,000 to be given to the judge, but he (judge) allegedly received only GH¢5,000.
Justice Dery: Yes so I’m going to..!I’ll say I met this guy from Hohoe who turned out to be related to Kwame Dzato and then in the course of the conversation he told me that it was about GH¢13,000 that was given to him (clerk) and then he said that ehhh! I said they should bring me GH¢5,000 and give the rest to him (Tiger; ehee, to him) and then I’ll see what he’ll say.
Tiger (Anas): He even said that that one he took, he was going to give some to some people around ermmm, I think Attorney General’s office.
Justice Dery: For what?
Tiger: He’s the only person who knows. He has already taken GH¢1,000 before the GH¢13,000, so in all GH¢14,000… (Justice Dery cuts in)
Justice Dery: So he has taken GH¢9,000?
Tiger: Ehhh he has taken GH¢9,000 leaving you only GH¢5,000 plus this GH¢1,000 I just brought.
Justice Dery: Owww, (laughs) hmmm well. I know that was why he was insisting that he didn’t want you to get in touch with me.
Tiger: I see.
Justice Dery: I mean I just…! No I’m going to do it tomorrow; it’s so annoying, it’s so annoying. Hmmm, anyway.
Tiger: Okay.
Justice Dery: But I’m going to confront him tomorrow, on Wednesday. I mean how would you a court clerk! It’s just so annoying that this foolish… Hmm!
Tiger: Oh serious, serious! I think it’s not fair when you work under somebody and you do this to him…. (Justice Dery cuts in)
Justice Dery: You, you are not the one even doing the work…. (Tiger cuts in)
Tiger: Work, yes!
Justice Dery: You have no role in writing any judgment so what is it?
Tiger: Hmmm serious! I was so much surprised. Hmmm!
Justice Dery: No what…! I mean I’ll let him know that I’m aware, I’ll just…! Tomorrow when I go to the office I’ll say I met… he’s aware the guy is from Hohoe and he’s aware that I’ve worked in Hohoe before. I met somebody from Hohoe and he was telling me about this case.
Sidelining Clerk
It was also clear in the conversation that the judge was going to ditch his middleman in subsequent ‘deals’ with Anas and even went ahead to describe the clerk as ‘first class rascal’ for short-changing him (judge).
Tiger: So when we came and left, the next day in the morning he called and called again and then a brother of mine had to go and give him that GH¢2,000. I didn’t even know; it’s today that it all came out so…!
Justice Dery: I see. Hehehehehe! (Laughs).
Tiger: Okay. Okay so my lord anytime you need any of them you can call me; I’ll gladly bring it to you.
Justice Dery: Oh no problem; once I’ve got your number.
Tiger: Alright, thank you.
Goat Presentation
Apart from the money, a goat was also presented by Anas as part of the inducement.
Tiger: Thank you. I brought the goat, my lord.
Justice Dery: Ahhh, did he call you?
Tiger: Ehhh today he called me more than twenty times ehhh and in fact, now he has taken the money, …some from my brother; in fact, to the extent that the balance left is GH¢1,000 but he’s still calling and I said I won’t bring it.
Justice Dery: I mean he’s such a rascal. He’s a rascal. If I had known from the very beginning I would have stopped him; I would have told you that was what he was doing.
Tiger: Ehhhh! This is the balance. (Tiger hands over the balance of GH¢1,000 to JHC Dery)
Justice Dery: He’s a first class rascal.
Tiger: Mmmm!
Striking A Deal
Justice Dery: Anytime I want or if somebody is interested I’ll call you.
Tiger: Okay. I’ll be very glad.
Justice Dery: So where do you live and you go to Tulako?
Tiger: I live at American House.
Justice Dery: That’s East Legon.
Tiger: East Legon, that’s where I rented accommodation.
Justice Dery: Okay.
Tiger: But I have my sheep and then the cows at Tulako in Ashaiman. I bring them from the north and even Burkina Faso.
Justice Dery: Okay. It’s nice that I got to know you, though this foolish boy; but it’s nice I got to know you because sometimes we need animals and we don’t know how to get them and when you get to Tulako when they don’t know you they just slaughter you.
Tiger: Ehhh they’ll just slaughter you, seriously, especially if you come by car like this (referring to the parked cars in Dery’s compound).
Justice Dery: By car like this, they have brought money eh? Yea!
Tiger: Okay, thank you my lord.
Justice Dery: Okay, all the best.
Ultimate Assurance
After everything had been concluded, the judge appeared to assure Anas on the recordings that Kwame Dzato was going to be set free.
Justice Dery: You have no problem to worry about.
Tiger: Okay.
Justice Dery: It’s this boy who has just… (Tiger cuts in)
Tiger: But is he going to be set free?
Justice Dery: Yes, I’ll set him free.
Tiger: Okay, thank you my lord. We’ll be very grateful my lord.
Justice Dery: As I said, I worked in Hohoe from 2000-2004. I was in Hohoe. I’ll set him free.
Tiger: Okay, my lord.
Justice Dery: Mmm there’s no cause for alarm.
Tiger: Okay, okay my lord. Thank you very much my lord.
Source: William Yaw Owusu I Daily Guide
