Member of Parliament for Suame, John Darko, has strongly condemned the recent suspension of the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo, calling it a dangerous precedent and a blatant abuse of constitutional processes.
Speaking on Joy FM‘s Top Story, the Legal Counsel for the Minority in Parliament expressed concern over what he sees as a politically motivated act disguised as due process.
He described the move as a clear case of political interference in the judiciary and a threat to the checks and balances within Ghana’s democratic system.
“This is a clear abuse of process. The act that resulted in the suspension of the Chief Justice was orchestrated by politics—nothing more. And all of us should condemn it. We are stepping into a very serious, slippery slope,” he warned.
This follows President John Mahama’s suspension of the Chief Justice, citing that sufficient grounds exist for further inquiry after three individuals filed a petition alleging misconduct and incompetence.
Mr Darko questioned the motives behind the suspension, claiming that it stemmed from political pressure and not any legitimate grounds.
He pointed to reports that the Chief Justice had allegedly failed to return GH₵75,000—an issue, he noted, that the Auditor’s Report had already cleared.
“One of the reasons being whispered around is that the Chief Justice did not return GH₵75,000. But the Auditor-General’s report had cleared it,” he explained.
He further accused key members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of laying the groundwork for the suspension.
“We are talking about nation-building. We are talking about the independence of the third arm of government. It is not a joke,” he said. “This is unprecedented in the history of our public service. Never before has a sitting Chief Justice been removed,” he added.
Meanwhile, private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has suggested that a voluntary resignation by the Chief Justice, would be in the best interest of Ghana’s democracy, rather than subjecting the nation to a prolonged investigation process.
According to him, although the Chief Justice can be exonerated, the damage that would be inflicted on the judiciary and public confidence during the proceedings could be irreversible.
Mr Kpebu stressed that the ongoing process risks resurfacing controversial issues from the past on judicial corruption, which he believes would reopen old wounds and further destabilise public trust in the judiciary.
“A resignation would be better than for us to go through all of this. She can be exonerated theoretically, but if you look at dragging this matter on in the public domain and everything, by the time we are done, the whole system would have suffered too much,” he said.
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