The Judicial Service has taken decisive action by dismissing Sebastian Agbo, the Registrar of the Land Division of the High Court in Tema, due to his involvement in fraudulent activities.
The dismissal, which came into effect on May 18, 2023, was confirmed through an official notice issued by Justice Cynthia Pamela Addo, the Judicial Secretary, on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
The notice explicitly cautioned the public and Judicial Service staff against engaging with Mr Sebastian Agbo, as he no longer holds a position within the Judicial Service.
It stated, “The General Public and Staff of the Judicial Service are hereby informed that Mr Sebastian Agbo formerly of the Land Court, Tema was dismissed from the Judicial Service of Ghana on 18th May 2023 for fraudulently preparing thirty (30) Court orders, a major offence under Section 37(a) of the Conditions of Service for Senior and Junior Employees of the Judicial Service. In view of the ongoing, Mr Sebastian Agbo no longer represents the Judicial Service. All persons who deal with him, therefore, do so at their own peril. Please be advised accordingly.”
In a related development, the Supreme Court has referred a case involving the estate of a deceased pastor to the Chief Justice for an investigation into the conduct of a judge and a Court Registrar involved in the case.
A five-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Jones Dotse, unanimously made the referral on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. The panel expressed concern that the antecedents of the case cast doubt on the integrity of the judicial system.
The case refers to the High Court in Tema in 2022, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ankamah (now a Justice of the Court of Appeal), and the then Registrar of the High Court in Tema, Sebastian Agbo.
The Supreme Court deemed it appropriate to refer the case to the Chief Justice for further investigations into their conduct. Justice Jones Dotse delivered the valedictory judgment before his retirement on Thursday, June 8, 2023. The other Justices on the panel were Avril Lovelace-Johnson, Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu, Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi.
The Supreme Court granted a certiorari application, quashing the decision of Justice Ankamah to strike out a caveat challenging the letters of administration for the sharing of properties in the estate of the late Rev Emmanuel Dorgbadzi.
The court found that Justice Ankamah failed to give the caveators a hearing before striking out the caveat, which violated the principles of natural justice.
The Supreme Court also raised concerns about the undervaluation and deceptive values assigned to the properties in the estate listed in the letter of administration.
The court questioned the values attributed to a hospital in Obuasi, a school in Obuasi, and a house in Tema.
The Supreme Court referred the interested parties in the certiorari application, who filed the letter of administration at the Tema High Court, as well as their lawyers, for further investigations into the apparent undervaluation of the estate.
