Minority Leader in Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie and some Supreme Court judges of allegedly conspiring to remove former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo from office.
Mr Afenyo-Markin claimed that the judges deliberately worked against Justice Torkornoo as part of an effort to pave the way for a change in the leadership of the Judiciary.
Speaking on Atinka TV on Monday, August 17, the Minority Leader alleged that the petition that triggered the process leading to Justice Torkornoo’s removal formed part of a broader attempt to force her out of office.
“It was a grand conspiracy. I have said so, and I have not minced words on that. My Lord Baffoe-Bonnie was part of the grand conspiracy against his predecessor, Gertrude Torkornoo,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.
He further alleged that Justice Baffoe-Bonnie and other Supreme Court judges who opposed Justice Torkornoo had personal interests in the leadership of the Judiciary.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also suggested that Justice Torkornoo could be reinstated if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) returns to power.
“If the NPP comes to power, I don’t know why she won’t be reinstated. Of course, she will be reinstated,” he stated.
Justice Gertrude Torkornoo was appointed Chief Justice in June 2023 and became the first Chief Justice of Ghana’s Fourth Republic to be removed from office.
Her removal followed a petition submitted to President John Dramani Mahama and a subsequent process under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, which sets out the procedure for the removal of superior court judges.
The circumstances surrounding her removal have sparked public debate, with concerns raised by some members of the legal community and civil society organisations over the fairness, transparency and due process of the proceedings.
Mr Afenyo-Markin’s latest allegations add to the ongoing debate over the circumstances surrounding Justice Torkornoo’s removal and the independence and integrity of Ghana’s Judiciary.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
