The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has described the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo by President John Dramani Mahama as a carefully orchestrated scheme rather than a coincidence.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, September 2, the former Roads and Highways Minister warned that the move posed a grave danger to Ghana’s democratic foundations.
“President Mahama’s sacking of the Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo is no accident, it was a long-planned scheme, executed with precision. This reckless move shatters judicial independence and strikes at the heart of our democracy,” Mr Asenso-Boakye wrote.
He cautioned that if a Chief Justice could be removed “on flimsy grounds, tomorrow no judge will feel safe to uphold the Constitution.”
The Bantama MP stressed that the decision amounted to an attack on the very foundation of Ghana’s Republic.
“This is not just an attack on one individual, it is an assault on the very foundation of our Republic. Ghana has come too far to let the Rule of Law be hijacked. We must resist every attempt to weaken our institutions. Ghana deserves better!” he added.
His comments follow President Mahama’s decision on Monday, September 1, to remove Justice Torkornoo in accordance with Article 146(9) of the Constitution, acting on the recommendation of a committee established to investigate petitions of alleged misconduct and incompetence.
The development has attracted widespread criticism from the Ghana Bar Association, civil society groups, and the opposition NPP, all of whom have described the move as unconstitutional and a threat to judicial independence.