Minority Leader and Member of Parliament(MP) for Effutu, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, stirred curiosity during an interview on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo when he sidestepped a direct question about his relationship with Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Host Kwame Sefa Kayi had asked whether he was related to the Chief Justice, but instead of responding directly, Afenyo-Markin shifted the conversation to his long-standing friendship with Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
According to him, the friendship has never influenced the outcome of any case he has handled before the judge. “Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie is my close friend. He presides over many cases in which I appear as counsel, but I have lost all those cases. A relationship with a judge does not guarantee success,” he stressed.
He explained that judges at the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, as well as lawyers, often share professional and personal bonds, describing the legal community as a “fraternity.” However, he emphasised that these relationships do not, and should not, determine judicial outcomes.
His diversion, however, has raised questions about whether there was a reason he avoided addressing the host’s inquiry about Justice Torkornoo directly. Some viewers wondered if his hesitation suggested an unsettled issue or a personal boundary he did not wish to discuss on air.
The exchange added an intriguing dimension to an otherwise straightforward conversation about ethics, professionalism, and relationships within Ghana’s legal system.
