Ashanti Region: Murder of Otumfuo’s Akyempimhene and 8 other cases affected by jurors’ strike.
Written by GliveRadio Accra on June 27, 2024
The case involving the murder of Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s Akyempimhene and eight other murder and rape cases being heard at the High Court in Kumasi have ground to a halt due to a strike by jurors in the Ashanti region.
The jurors have suspended court duties once again due to the non-payment of their allowances.
In November 2023, they took similar action for weeks but resumed work after Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo assured them of her commitment to ensuring their arrears were paid following a meeting in Kumasi. She also pledged prompt payment of future allowances to prevent further strikes.
However, several months later, the issue remains unresolved. The jurors are now on strike over unpaid allowances from August 2023 to May 2024.
The delay in allowance payments has caused significant financial strain for the jurors. They are urging the government to allocate funds to the judicial service to settle their arrears.
Albert Ackah, the general foreman for the jurors in the Ashanti region, reiterated their plea for prompt payment:
“Yes, it is true that we are unable to come to court because of our allowance. Our allowances always delay until we take action before we receive them. This is not acceptable; it is not right for us to constantly chase after our allowances.
“Today, we have nine cases that couldn’t proceed because we couldn’t attend court due to non-payment of our allowances. So please, I appeal to the government to release funds to the judicial service so they can pay us and we can resume court duties. No one should blame jurors for delaying cases.
“We receive only a small allowance here. Why do we always have to fight and negotiate to get it?”
During her meeting with the jurors, the Chief Justice suggested they use their salaries from their other jobs to fund their transportation to court, as many of them are public sector workers. However, the jurors expressed dissatisfaction with this suggestion, arguing that their roles as jurors should be adequately supported through timely allowance payments.
“Many of us are retired or receive only a pension. We use this money to support our households,” they emphasized