By Never Garmah Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com from Fish Town, River Gee
The Revenue Justice/Tax Court Judge in River Gee County has been accused of extorting money from them under the guise of revenue collection, but the Judge in question has repeatedly refused to comment after numerous attempts to get his reaction in weeks.
Some of the local business persons spoken to said in most cases, Judge Solo Teah often collects money from them without issuing receipts.
Several mobile phone contacts to get his reaction have been unsuccessful so far.
One of the victims, Ghanaian national, Horkor Kofi Kosgsie of the Tartuken gold mine told www.newspublictrust.com
that in July of this year, Judge Teah took US$5,000 and L$ 270,000 without receipts acknowledging the payments.
Horkor Kofi Kosgsie
Mr. Kosgsie alleged that the judge seized his mining equipment, falsely accusing him of refusal to pay revenue.
He further said that the county’s Revenue Court has not indicated specified revenue fees for miners.
Instead, he said Judge Teah has been in the constant habit of harassing and intimidating miners at gold mines demanding huge sums of money.
On one occasion, Judge Teah is said to have collected up to 60,000 CFA and L$50,000 from him in Nyaanken and Tartuken respectively without written giving receipts.
Besides said payments, Teah is said to have also taken money from Kosgsie on several occasions; at times through his sheriff.
Despite all of the extortions, he said the judge on one occasion had him arrested and remanded at the River Gee Central Prison for three days and was only released after fellow miners paid L$140,000.
Mr. Kosgsie narrated that after being put out of prison, he was forced to sell his machine in order to reimburse colleagues for moneys paid to secure his release.
This has prompted him to call for the intervention of Chief Justice Francis Korkpor in the matter.
Though the judge is yet to comment on this, the allegations are corroborated by a senior commerce inspector of the county.
River Gee County’s Senior Commerce Inspector Bestman Richards told News Public Trust that most business in River Gee are registered but whenever he raises the issue with them, they often refer him to Judge Teah, a situation, he said is stalling the collection of needed government revenue.
Mr. Richards then cited an instance where a garage owner in Kanweaken who is said to have service Judge Teah’s vehicle was booked for operating illegally, following which Teah reportedly approached Teah to ask him (Richards) to allow the garage operator to go with impunity.
Mr. Richards stressed that the judge’s action was seriously impeding their work in the county with nothing being done to remedy the situation.
When contacted by our reporter to comment on miners’ allegations against him, Judge Teah said it was “foolishness”, instantly dropping the line.
That was followed by series of text messages from the reporter to him; none of which he responded to.
Complaints of impropriety against the judge have also come from some members of the Joint Security, who accuse him of confiscating equipment from miners and taking them to his house instead of turning them over to the police.
News Public Trust has gathered that the Revenue Tax Court Judge was found in similar position in 2016, at which time he was summoned by Judge George W. Smith of the 15th Judicial Circuit Court to inquire the reality of the matter, something he refused to honor, thus prompting Judge Smith to issue a contempt of Court.
He again refused to answer to the contempt charges against him.
That disobedience resulted to a writ of arrest on Teah and his being handcuffed after attempting to fight Judge Smith.
After being handcuffed, he wrote a letter of complaint to the Supreme Court against Judge Smith.
A Judiciary inquiry Commission was said to have recommended Judge Smith’s suspension without looking into the allegation brought against Judge Smith, while himself was suspended for six months without pay and benefits.
Meanwhile, when this reporter contacted the Revenue Justice/ tax court judge Solo Teah and introduce herself to him, and told him she wanted to get his side of the allegations, he termed it as foolishness and immediately switched off his phone. That call was followed by series of text messages from both the reporter and the editor; none of which he responded to.
However, the duty of a Revenue court Judge is not to go in the field allegedly collecting money or arresting materials from citizens but rather his function is if anyone refused to pay taxes, the business institution can be turned over for Prosecution.
Revenue court is not court of record under the court system and this revenue Justice court was repealed since 1956 and revised in 1972 thus creating the tax court.