News
NPP accuses Chief Justice of partisan politics, demands his resignation
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the Chief Justice of descending into partisan politics after a video in which he allegedly praised a parastatal under the current NDC government as performing better than the previous NPP administration.
In a strongly worded statement, the party said it had taken note of the video “with profound shock and disgust,” adding that the comments attributed to the Chief Justice were not befitting of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary.
“Let it be stated plainly: this is not the language of a Chief Justice. It is the language of a party propagandist, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers, and it has no place whatsoever in the mouth of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary,” the statement said.
The NPP cited Articles 125 and 127 of the Constitution, which establish the Judiciary as an independent arm of government, noting that the judicial oath binds the Chief Justice to do justice to all manner of persons without fear or favour.
The party described the video as part of a pattern, claiming the Chief Justice has become a regular presence at functions of political appointees of the current government.
“A Chief Justice who travels and celebrates as a courtier of the Executive cannot thereafter sit as a neutral umpire in cases to which the Executive is a party,” it said.
They added that “He has presented himself not as the impartial head of an independent Judiciary but as a leading member of the National Democratic Congress in judicial robes, and if political commentary is his true vocation, he should resign forthwith and formally take up membership of the NDC.”
The NPP also took issue with the Chief Justice’s reported vow to ensure the President’s agenda succeeds, questioning which agenda he referred to.
“The NPP jokes not with his declared vow that everything must be done to ensure that the agenda of the President succeeds. Which agenda, My Lord? The President’s declared agenda includes Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), under which persons associated with the NPP are being arraigned before the very courts over which he presides,” the statement noted.
The party further alleged selective justice, pointing to what it described as the alacrity with which warrants are issued in political cases involving NPP members, citing the incarceration of Chairman Wontumi.
It also criticized the Chief Justice for what it said was neglect of the Judiciary’s own challenges, including crumbling courtrooms and overwhelmed registries, while acting as a “monitoring and evaluation officer of the Executive.”
The party has served notice that it will convene a major press conference in due course to lay the full record of the Chief Justice’s conduct before the nation.
“The Judiciary belongs neither to the President, nor to the NDC, nor to the Chief Justice; it belongs to the people of Ghana, who are entitled under the Constitution to courts that are blind to politics,” the NPP concluded.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Management and staff of Owass FM have announced the passing of media personality, comedian and politician Seth Kwame Dzokoto following a medical emergency during a live morning show discussion at the station earlier today.
According to the station, Dzokoto was participating in a panel discussion on its morning show “Oman Nkoso” when he suddenly took ill and collapsed.
A statement from the station said its team immediately rushed him to the hospital for medical attention, but he was pronounced dead by the attending medical doctor upon arrival.
“We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident, which occurred in the course of our regular programming. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, colleagues, and all those who have been affected by his passing,” the statement said.
Management acknowledged that information about the incident is already circulating in the public domain, but appealed to the public and colleague media houses to respect the privacy of the bereaved family and refrain from circulating unverified information or speculation regarding the circumstances of his death.
Owass FM extended its heartfelt condolences to the family of Seth Kwame Dzokoto.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The State through the Attorney General (AG) has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the suspension of the trial in the case of The Republic v Hanan Aludiba and Faiza Seidu.
On Monday, the Court of Appeal suspended the trial in the case. But the prosecution says it has filed an appeal against the suspension order.
According to the update, the law does not allow a criminal trial to be suspended simply because an accused person has complained about some of the charges on the charge sheet, particularly when those complaints were dismissed as meritless.
It argues that if the Court of Appeal’s decision is allowed to stand, no prosecution will ever be possible, since all it would take for a trial to be suspended is an accused person complaining about anything on the charge sheet.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
