Lawyer and member of the NPP Communications Team, Kwesi Botchwey, has cautioned that the ongoing attempts by the Mahama administration to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo could set a troubling precedent for Ghana’s democracy.
Speaking on The Forum on Asaase Radio, Botchwey linked the current developments to earlier statements made by the opposition party.
“This whole issue of the removal of the CJ cannot be isolated from the statement made by the leadership of the NDC…expressing the commitment and dedication to remove Madam Gertrude Torkornoo,” he said.
He warned that politicising the judiciary in this way would open the door for future abuse. “If we don’t take care, any president that comes can decide to target members of the judiciary. It is going to set a bad precedent,” Botchwey stressed.
Calling on the judiciary to defend its independence, he appealed to the nation’s top judges to uphold the rule of law. “I am calling on our revered justices to come out and condemn or call for due process,” he urged.
Botchwey also expressed concern about retaliatory political actions if the current effort succeeds.
“I have also heard members of my party say that if this action succeeds and NPP comes to power, any CJ would be removed — and this is bad for our democracy,” he said.
