A petition has been filed against a Kumasi-based High Court Judge, Justice George Krofa Addae at the General Legal Council for gross unprofessional conduct and bias.
According to the petitioner, Matthew Kuma, he was a plaintiff in a matter that he sent to court seeking the return of the body of his deceased brother, Mr Benjamin Asonaba Dapaah, whose body was in the custody of Ebenezer mortuary in Kumasi where same had been deposited there by the defendants in the case.
Mr Kuma had sued the defendants in the case for the return of the body so the family can bury it. The case was initially at High Court 5, presided by Justice Francis Obiri but was subsequently transferred from his court to the Human Rights Court, where Justice George Krofa Addae was sitting.
According to the petition, on 27 November 2020, Justice George Krofa Addae set down the issues for trial. Amongst the issues set down for trial was the central issue or question: whether the Plaintiffs are entitled to the body of the deceased, Benjamin Asonaba Dapaah for burial?
The court consequently gave further directions for the parties to both file their witness statements by 14 December 2020 and the case was adjourned to 21 December 2020 for case management conference.
But before the date given by the judge for the parties to appear would come, on 2 December 2020 while the plaintiff and his lawyers were not present, the judge is alleged to have made orders and gave the body which was the subject matter of the trial to the lawyer of the 1st Defendant, Mr Michael Gyang Owusu on an ex parte application (meaning without the knowledge of the Plaintiffs) and without any trial or determination of the issues.
The Judge, George Krofa Addae, further gave extensive orders for the defendants to be given police assistance to dig the grave and bury the body without conducting the trial.
The petitioner further catalogs various conducts of the judge that demonstrate that the judge is bent on carrying on a farcical trial. Despite having unlawfully given the body to the defendants and they have buried same, the judge still demanded that plaintiff still files his witness statement.
Mr Mathew Kuma has nevertheless petitioned the Chief Justice to investigate the Judge and sanction him.
Click the link below for the petition
