A former Director of the Ghana School of Law and private legal practitioner, Ansah Asare, has described the nomination of suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Torkornoo as problematic from the outset.
Justice Torkornoo, currently facing impeachment proceedings under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, held a press conference on Wednesday, June 25, where she described the process as unconstitutional, flawed, and politically motivated.
She further stated that resigning would only imply an admission of guilt and play into the hands of political actors seeking to manipulate the situation.
The suspended Chief Justice also raised concerns over the venue for the proceedings, Adu Lodge, located along Castle Drive in Osu.
She described it as symbolically troubling, given its historical links to the 1981 abduction and murder of three High Court judges and a military officer — one of whom was her uncle and former guardian.
Justice Torkornoo suggested the choice of venue was intended to intimidate her and undermine her defence.
Reacting to these developments on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Thursday, June 26, Ansah Asare criticised both the government and those who supported Justice Torkornoo’s appointment, questioning their current silence.
“Where are the people who supported her nomination when she was appointed by the President?” he asked. “ When she was nominated, I made a comment on Joy FM that her nomination was going to bring problems to the country because there were seniors ahead of her, in front of her, and they were sidelined, and so on and I said it would be a problem. And I cautioned that I hoped then that it would be the last time any president will appoint a much younger person from the bottom of the echelon to the top.”
He expressed concern over the seeming abandonment of the Chief Justice by those who championed her appointment.
“Where are the people who supported the nomination? Why are they not saying anything now? Why are they abandoning, you know, this young lady, you know, to suffer all by herself? I’m at a loss to understand what is going on between those who supported the nomination and the council of state and the judicial council.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
