The murder case involving Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s Akyempimhene and eight other murder and rape cases being heard at the High Court in Kumasi have been halted due to a strike by jurors in the Ashanti region.
The jurors have stopped court proceedings once again due to unpaid allowances.
They previously went on strike in November 2023 for several weeks but returned to work after Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo promised to resolve their arrears following a meeting in Kumasi.
Despite assurances of timely payments, the issue remains unresolved months later. Jurors are now on strike over outstanding allowances dating from August 2023 to May 2024, citing financial difficulties caused by the delay.
Albert Ackah, the jurors’ spokesperson 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 our allowance. This is not good; it is not proper for us to always chase our allowance before we get it.
“Today, we have nine cases and because we couldn’t come due to non-payment of our allowance, the cases couldn’t come on. So please, I am appealing to the government to release money to the judicial service, so that they can pay their jurors so that they can return to court. Nobody ever should say that it is the jurors who delay the cases.
“So, this small, tiny allowance that we receive here, why always we need to follow, talk until these allowances are received?
During her previous meeting with jurors, Chief Justice Torkornoo suggested they use their salaries from other jobs to cover transportation costs, as many are public sector retirees. However, jurors argue their roles as jurors and their personal finances should be distinct, emphasizing the need for prompt allowance payments.
“Most of them were in the jury system before they retired. They are receiving only a retirement package, or better still, their pension salary. They are using this money to upkeep their houses and their homes.”