Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah
The National Democratic Congress has slammed Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, describing his petition to the General Legal Council against lawmaker, Dominic Ayine, as an attempt to suppress free speech.
Dr Ayine is reported to have said the Supreme Court failed to apply the rules of procedure during the trial. He is also believed to have raised concerns over the regular dismissal of the petitioners’ applications during the case.
He made the comments at an event organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) and the KNUST.
The petition by the Chief Justice urged the GLC to probe the lawmaker over the comments and apply the necessary sanctions.
Addressing a Press Conference on Monday, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia called on the Chief Justice to immediately the petition against the MP for Bolgatanga East.
“Public confidence in the judiciary must be earned and not forced on us. How many times have you heard any court telling anybody that I’m going to give a judgment but I’m warning you not to talk about it?” Mr Asiedu Nketia popularly known as General Mosquito said.
He added that “The judiciary, like parliament or executive, is not above criticism…Our laws and constitution protect the integrity and independence of the judiciary and not the sensibility of a judge. The notion that the judicial arm of gov’t is beyond reproach is a fantasy that can’t be sustained.”
Mr Asiedu Nketia also accused the Chief Justice of targeting NDC-affiliated lawyers and called on him to stop the witch-hunt.
“It’s no coincidence that virtually all the lawyers who have been reported to the disciplinary committee of the General Legal council by the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah in recent times are aligned to the NDC. What is the Chief Justice’s personal interest in the punishment of NDC affiliated lawyers that his he’s so keen to initiate unwarranted actions against them”