By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, April 25, GNA- The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament has vehemently condemned President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to suspend Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, citing it as a “judicial coup” and a “flagrant abuse of executive power.”
Mr Jerry Ahmed Shaib, the Second Deputy Minority Whip, at a Press Conference in Parliament House on Friday said: “This brazen action constitutes nothing less than a judicial coup, a flagrant abuse of executive power, and a direct assault on the independence of Ghana’s judiciary.”
He told the Parliamentary Press Corps that the suspension was a clear violation of due process and pending judicial review, and that it represented executive overreach of the highest order.
“It sets a dangerous precedent, evoking memories of a dark era in our nation’s history that we believed was firmly behind us,” he said.
Mr Ahmed Shaib, also the NPP Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, who spoke on behalf of the Caucus, accused President Mahama of attempting to control the judiciary, citing his public pledge to “balance” the judiciary by appointing partisan-aligned judges adding that “This is not judicial reform. It is tyranny in plain sight.”
As a result, the Minority Caucus has demanded an immediate reversal of the suspension and has warned that any further harassment or intimidation of the Chief Justice will meet fierce legal and public resistance.
The group demanded an immediate reinstatement of the Chief Justice pending final determination of all constitutional challenges and complete halt to all removal proceedings until the Supreme Court conclusively rules on the constitutionality of the process
The Caucus has also vowed to defend the constitution and uphold judicial independence, stating that “the integrity and independence of Ghana’s judiciary are non-negotiable.”
GNA
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