Upper East region based Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in mining has bemoaned the recent visit by the judiciary council to the paramount chief of Tongo, Tongraana Kugbilsong Namlegtang.
According to the group, the council visit could impede and open more wounds for more premature judgements in favor of Tongraana since he is a party in several cases currently pending in some courts in the Upper East region.
Addressing the media in Bolgatanga, spokesperson for the group, Bismark Zumah told the media that the Judiciary Council visit which was led by Justice Pwamang who hails from the region was needless. To the group, the visit is a threat to the judiciary “we think the visit of the Judicial Council led by Justice Pwamang who hails from the Upper East Region was needless and it threatens the integrity of the Judiciary.
This is so because if you recall on March 10, 2023, this same Tongraana sent his convicted messengers to go and talk to Justice Alexander Graham on mining-related matters before him.
Justice Alexander Graham who is a member of the Judiciary saw that the actions of the Tongoraana and his messengers were contemptuous and, as such, dealt with them accordingly. Their criminal conviction exonerated the Concerned Citizens of Talensi who, in 2020 suspected Tongraana of using his influence of public officials in order to gain advantage of the cases he has against citizens of the Talensi land that he is the overlord. These cases are before the courts in Bolgatanga”.
The group also appealed to the council to formally report the attack on the judges in the region to the a full scale investigations and bring the perpetrators to book as well as getting judges who are very brave and firm like Justice Abraham Graham to salvage the region from premature justice.
“We are hereby suggesting to the Judicial Council to formally report to the Ghana Police Service the threats and attacks on the two judges, Justice Graham and Justice Twumasi, for thorough investigations into what led the two judges to leave the region.
The Judicial Council should be able to protect and defend their own who have done no wrong.
We are also asking the Judicial Council to work assiduously to give the High Court ‘2’ in Bolgatanga a courageous and incorruptible judge to avoid delays in trials as it is said, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
This would also help avoid visits to individuals who have interest and are fond of interfering in court cases”.
Below is the full statement.
COALITION OF CSOs IN MINING PRESS STATEMENT PROPAGANDIST MEETING BETWEEN JUDICIAL COUNCIL DELEGATION AND TONGRANA ON MONDAY, 26THJUNE, 2023 AT TONGO Ladies and gentlemen of the press, good day. We invite you here to express our displeasure and disappointment on the visit of the Judicial Council delegation led by Justice Gabriel Pwamang to Tongraana Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang who is known in his private life as Robert Mosore and a former Member of Parliament of Ghana on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).On the 26th day of June 202efore noon, information reaching us indicated that the Judicial Council had sent a delegation to the Tongraana. The mission was to restore a cordial relationship between the Judiciary and the Tongoraana that had been damaged by conviction of two of his messengers namely Naab Nyarkora Mantii (Chief of Baare) and Richard Sunday Yinbil (Secretary to the Tongraana). The purpose of the visit has been mistaken by the Tongrana through misleading people into believing that, the Judicial Council came to beg Tongrana for forgiveness for the action taken by Justice Alexander Graham against his sub-chief and that of his secretary. That is the false message spreading in Tongo and the Upper East Region. This has created panic and anger in the land.
In fact, we think the visit of the Judicial Council led by Justice Pwamang who hails from the Upper East Region was needless and it threatens the integrity of the Judiciary. This is so because if you recall on March 10, 2023, this same Tongraana sent his convicted messengers to go and talk to Justice Alexander Graham on mining-related matters before him.
Justice Alexander Graham who is a member of the Judiciary saw that the actions of the Tongoraana and his messengers were contemptuous and, as such, dealt with them accordingly. Their criminal conviction exonerated the Concerned Citizens of Talensi who, in 2020 suspected Tongraana of using his influence of public officials in order to gain advantage of the cases he has against citizens of the Talensi land that he is the overlord. These cases are before the courts in Bolgatanga.
We view the actions of Tongrana in his support of the killing of the 16 youths and calling them thieves as amounting to sellout of his community to the mining company, Shaanxi now Earl International. Instead of supporting the young people, the Overlord was supporting Shaanxi, a foreign Chinese company which had also been accused for stealing other concessions of other mining companies. Note, there is an impending case before an international tribunal between the Government of Ghana and Cassius, the Australian mining company that had mining rights in Talensi.
What exactly was Tongraana’s reaction after the criminal conviction of two of his emissaries that required the whole Judicial Council paying him a visit?
- Was it the press release which he made the Tindongo Chief to submit on behalf of the Traditional Council? To our knowledge, the Traditional Council never met to agree on defending any convicted criminals by the court. We want everybody to take it on record that the Talensi Traditional Council never reacted in any way.
- Or was it the cowardly attack on the two judges in their residences which led to the two fleeing the region for safety that is the basis of the Judicial Council’s visit to the Tongorana? I
- Even provided that the Judicial Council wanted to establish a better working relationship between the Talensi Traditional Council, should they not have mentioned the attack on the two judges and further call on the security services to investigate this matter and bring the perpetuators to book?
The attack on the judge was, indeed callous, barbaric and disgraceful and we believe it was meant to instill fear in other independent judges like Justice Alexander Graham. The Judicial Council should have called for investigations into the matter and have the perpetrators punished. Should Tongraana not have been invited and interrogated rather than according him a visit and a somewhat apology by the Judicial Council for sending his people to visit him especially as he had cases before the courts? Unfortunately, why did the Judicial Council of Ghana not see the need to talk about the threats on the lives of these two judges and to address same?
A chief who torments his subjects
The Paramount Chief of Talensi Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang is used to tormenting and intimidating his people by using the courts. He sent 6 young men from Talensi to court on defamation. So, any attempt of the machinery of the judiciary to give him an attention is an ex-parte conduct.
The Tongraana is also an interested party in the court cases of Shaanxi also known as Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited against individuals and some chiefs in the Talensi Traditional Area. The Judicial Council should have investigated the possible conflict of interest by the Tongraana instead of coming to endorse him in his support for foreign mining companies and their unhealthy mining practices. By such endorsement the Tongraana will believe that he is above the law and will continue with such unsavory acts against his own people.
Disturbing enough is that the Judicial Council delegation was given a bull by the Tongraana which can be a symbol to corrupt the system. The last time we checked, when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufu Addo visited the Tongoraana, no bull was given. So, our question is why a bull for the Judicial Council?
Tongoraana in person can never be used as an arbitrator in any matter because he is a litigant himself, filing cases against his subjects and driving away people who bring complaints to his palace. Notably among them is Hon. Zongdan Boyak Kolog (Polo) the philanthropist.
We are hereby suggesting to the Judicial Council to formally report to the Ghana Police Service the threats and attacks on the two judges, Justice Graham and Justice Twumasi, for thorough investigations into what led the two judges to leave the region.
The Judicial Council should be able to protect and defend their own who have done no wrong.
We are also asking the Judicial Council to work assiduously to give the High Court ‘2’ in Bolgatanga a courageous and incorruptible judge to avoid delays in trials as it is said, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
This would also help avoid visits to individuals who have interest and are fond of interfering in court cases.
In fact, if the visit is anything to go by and meant for building relationship between the Judiciary and the traditional authorities, why not the Bawku Naba? Why not the President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Pε Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III? Why not at the office of the Upper East Regional Minister?
Ladies and gentlemen, we are putting together hardcore evidence and to petition the Chief Justice and the President of the Republic on the visit by the Judicial Council which we think is going to cause mayhem because the Tongraana is now going to have the edge to call judges to his palace to give them directions on cases having in mind that a Supreme Court judge had paid a courtesy on him.
Let us end this press conference and to put on record that we are not against the Paramount Chief of Talensi. Far from it. It is his actions that we are against. We are against him taking his people to court and his support for the big mining companies. We would love to live and work with him in peace if he commits to working with our communities and lead them towards prosperity for the area.
Thank you, Ladies and gentlemen of the press. God bless the Judiciary, God bless the good people of Upper East Region
List of the CSOs: - Savannah Research and Advocacy Network (SRAN)
- Development Research and Advocacy Centre (DRAC)
- Northern Patriots against Injustice and Corruption Ghana (NAPAIC-Ghana)
- TAMA Foundation
- Northern Forum for Peace and Development (NOFPED)
Spokesperson: Bismark N. Zumah
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Contact: 0247802033
Source: mywordfmonline.com / Gaspard Ayuureneeya