Bailiff jailed 4 years for forging court documents

A 38-year-old bailiff, Kojo Budu Jackson, has been sentenced to four years in prison with hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court after pleading guilty to forging court documents, including a divorce certificate bearing the signature of a retired magistrate.

Jackson, who was previously attached to the Ejisu District Court in the Ashanti Region, initially denied the charges but abruptly changed his plea to guilty during Tuesday’s hearing, just as the prosecution was set to begin its case.

In addition to the custodial sentence, the court imposed a fine of 200 penalty units (GHS 2,400). Failure to pay within a month will result in an extra year of imprisonment.

The Backstory

According to DSP Emmanuel Nyamekye, the case came to light in June 2024 after the Judicial Secretary alerted the police to a suspected forgery ring involving Jackson and other accomplices. They were allegedly producing fake judicial documents, including marriage and divorce certificates.

Jackson, then working as a private bailiff, was placed under surveillance and eventually arrested on August 13, 2024. During a search of his home, police uncovered a number of forged items, including divorce affidavits and a Certificate of Divorce bearing a digitally copied signature of a retired judge and a court registrar's official stamp.

Under questioning, Jackson confessed to the forgery, stating that he was under financial pressure and needed money to pay his rent.

Police investigations confirmed that the documents were fabricated and that Jackson had used scanned judicial signatures and stamps to make them appear authentic.

The court emphasized the seriousness of the offence, highlighting the potential damage to public trust in the judicial system.

Jackson has begun serving his sentence, as investigations continue into possible accomplices and further instances of forgery.