The vetting of Supreme Court nominee Justice Kweku T Ackaah-Boafo is set to proceed as planned on Friday, June 20, 2025, after Parliament's Appointments Committee dismissed a controversial petition lodged against him. The petition, submitted by Anthony Kwabenya Rau, an individual identifying as an international human rights activist, had temporarily stalled the process, but Parliament found it to lack sufficient merit for further investigation.

Rau's petition leveled a series of serious accusations against Justice Ackaah-Boafo, describing him as a “political prostitute” and alleging judicial bias, misconduct, and political opportunism. He claimed the judge was politically compromised, suggesting that judicial decisions had led to promotions by both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) governments. Specific allegations included that Justice Ackaah-Boafo was appointed to the Court of Appeal by the NPP government after serving a judgment in November 2019, and was now being promoted by the NDC to the Supreme Court after a judgment concerning Hon. Ato Forson.

Beyond political bias, Rau accused Justice Ackaah-Boafo of inappropriate and insulting language during a proceeding at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) court. He claimed the judge belittled him, referring to him as a “so-called ‘Messiah’ international human rights activist,” and questioned his authority to represent clients in Ghana. The petitioner further characterized the judge’s written judgment as containing personal attacks, labeling Ackaah-Boafo as “arrogant, biased, power-drunk, an abuser of human rights, and supportive of corruption.” Rau also questioned the nominee’s cultural alignment, citing his Canadian background and alleged disrespect for Ghanaian traditions, particularly concerning age and seniority.

Despite the grave nature of these claims, parliamentary sources and Speaker Alban Bagbin, after review, concluded that the allegations did not meet the required threshold for investigation. The petition was ultimately dismissed, clearing the way for the vetting to resume.

Interestingly, new details have emerged revealing a past court judgment from 2019 in which Justice Ackaah-Boafo himself criticized Anthony Kwabenya Rau. In that High Court ruling, the judge took issue with a three-page protest letter submitted by Rau, then a director of a company involved in the vehicle license plate embossment business. Justice Ackaah-Boafo described Rau’s narrative as “fictional and selfish,” noting that his sweeping accusations of corruption and incompetence against other industry players were made without a “scintilla of proof.” He wrote, “To my mind, the Plaintiff’s director who claims to be a German human rights activist engaged in a fictional and selfish narrative for his own gain and benefit by claiming to be the ‘Messiah’ of Ghanaian drivers.” The judge further admonished Rau, stating, “The public space and the court are not forums for self-serving sensationalism and aggrandizement. Therefore, Mr. Abebrese Rau and his like should spare Ghanaians such self-glorified epistles.” Despite these remarks, Justice Ackaah-Boafo ruled in favor of Rau on the substantive issues, awarding him a nominal cost.

This historical context sheds light on the petitioner’s current allegations, which closely mirror the criticisms Justice Ackaah-Boafo previously directed at Rau. Justice Ackaah-Boafo, who currently serves on the Court of Appeal, is the final nominee put forward by President John Dramani Mahama to be considered for a seat on Ghana’s Supreme Court. With the petition dismissed, the vetting will now proceed as scheduled, focusing on his qualifications for the nation’s highest court.