The petition that led to Chief Justice’s US$5 million bribery allegation

• The Petitioner claimed that the lawyer has not refunded a sum intended for ‘ways and means’

• The petition which was filed back in March 2021 became public after lawyer Kwasi Afrifa responded to the Disciplinary Committee

A chief of the Efutu and Gomoa Adjumako traditional area, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI, has petitioned the General Legal Council over the conduct of one lawyer Kwasi Afrifa.

A copy of the petition which was filed back in March this year, sighted by GhanaWeb, explained Lawyer Afrifa who was consulted to take up a case which is pending before the Supreme Court for the complainant, sought to take money from the petitioner to do some ‘gymnastics’ on the case.

Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI pointed that Lawyer Afrifa who was engaged to handle a case at the Court of Appeal, Cape Coast was paid in full on an agreed sum of GH¢300,000.

“In the course of handling the case, he [Lawyer Kwasi Afrifa] suggested to me that it was in my interest, beside his fully paid-up fees to provide an amount of one hundred thousand dollars (US$100,000) to enable him do some ways and means (gymnastics) on my case so that we can obtain a favourable decision,” the petition read in part.

“Being naïve and eager to see to the completion of my case favourably, I acceded to his request for him to have the money to and go perform the said Gymnastics to ensure success in my case. Although I believed in the strength of my case, I decided to give him the money based on the advice he gave,” it explained.

The petitioner continued, “After given him the money, I realised from his demeanor that he did not use the money for its intended purpose as advised so I fired him from the case and asked for a refund of the money but he has since refunded US$25,000 leaving a balance of US$75,000 due and owing.”

The petitioner added that all efforts to retrieve the remaining amount from Lawyer Kwasi Afrifa have proved futile hence his decision to appeal the Chairman of the General Legal Council to assist him to retrieve the remaining amount owed.

This petition became public after Lawyer Kwasi Afrifa responded to the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council on July 8, 2021.

In his response, Lawyer Afrifa claimed that the said amount agreed as legal fees as claimed by the Petitioner is untrue.

“The truth is that a fee of GH¢1,000,000 was agreed, out of which the Petitioner paid GH¢300,000 and undertook to settle the remainder later,” portions of his response read.

See Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta’s VI petition below: