Retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba has strongly criticised the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing it of hypocrisy over its objections to the composition of judges presiding over cases involving the suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, and the process for her possible removal.
His comments come in response to an objection from former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, who argued that it was improper and without precedent for an acting Chief Justice to empanel and preside over a case directly involving the substantive Chief Justice.
Also, on Monday, the NPP organised a street protest to oppose the removal of the Chief Justice.
In an exclusive interview with JoyNews’ Elton Brobbey on The Pulse, Justice Atuguba questioned the sincerity of the NPP’s concerns, citing the party’s conduct while in power.
“When they [the NPP] were in office, how did they perform? Transparently? Neutrally? In the interest of the people? This is the kind of thing I just hate—pure hypocrisy,” he said in the yet-to-be-aired interview on The Pulse.
He also referenced comments made by former National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah, who once suggested that court rulings are sometimes managed in a way that preserves national stability.
“Yes, that’s an honest man,” Atuguba remarked. “But if the courts were truly implementing the law, what would make him [Kan-Dapaah] apprehensive? Public perception? The trend? Repeated unanimous decisions in favour of a particular party?”
Justice Atuguba argued that prior panels under Chief Justice Torkornoo consistently delivered unanimous verdicts that favoured the NPP, which, according to him, undermines their current criticism.
“There was a 3–2 decision recently, and that only happened after the panel was reconstituted. Before that, it was unanimous after unanimous—always in their favour. Is that justice? That’s the democracy they want to entrench?” he questioned.
He accused the NPP of trying to weaponise the judiciary for political gain: “You have been overthrown through the ballot. Now your final defence is the Chief Justice? You say, ‘If she falls, we all fall.’ That’s what they are fighting for. It’s not about justice—it’s about survival.”
Source | Myjoyonline
