Kwabena Adjei's comment is an attempted coup -Minority
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) minority members in parliament have said that the statement by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, that he would clean the judiciary, is an attempted coup d'état on the judiciary, which is the third arm of the government.
'It is an attempt to undermine the independence of the judiciary and the constitution in a manner unprecedented, since the coming into force of the 1992 Constitution'.
To this end, they are calling for the arrest of the chairman, to enable him give more insight on the statement he made.
The minority made these remarks in a press briefing in parliament yesterday on the outburst of the NDC chairman. It was addressed by the spokesperson on judiciary, Joe Ghartey, Member of Parliament (MP) for Essikado-Ketan.
The spokesman stated that they were not against the criticism of judgments from the courts, because if such criticisms are informed, pertinent, fair, and not malicious, it can assist in the improvement in the methods, as well as improve in the administration of justice.
According to the Essikado Ketan MP, reasoned criticism of judgment made in good faith is in the public interest, but scurrilous abuse and unwarranted imputations of bias and improper motives to judges are not conducive to the public good, and can only destroy public confidence in the judiciary.
He noted that the comments of the seasoned politician of improper motives to judges are not conducive to the public good, as they can only destroy the public confidence in the judiciary, in the administration of justice generally.
Mr. Ghartey explained that they were worried about the comments of Mr. Kwabena Adjei against the backdrop of the antecedents of the attacks on the judiciary in the past.
In the recent past, the most significant and harrowing attack on the judiciary occurred on the night of Wednesday, June 30, 1982.
He explained that on that fateful night, three eminent and competent judges of the High Court, and a retired army officer, were abducted and gruesomely murdered, and their bodies set ablaze. The Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) was in power at the time.
He recalled that the terminologies used at the time were similar to what was being used today by the NDC Chairman.
At the time, the terminology used was cleaning, house cleaning and similar words. It led to death. Today, cleaning is being used again.
He reiterated that the Chairman should be reminded that the independence of the judiciary was guaranteed under the constitution, and in the performance of their duties, the judiciary shall not receive or be given instructions or directions by any person, including the President and Parliament, 'definitely not from a political party or its chairman.'
The spokesperson mentioned that the outburst of the NDC Chairman on how they would clean the judiciary, amounts to the offence of high treason, under article 3(3) (a) of the 1992 Constitution, by calling for the suspension of the part of the constitution dealing with the independence of the judiciary. 'He must face the full rigours of the law,' he added.
The group said with the vast experience of the NDC chairman, as a former majority leader, a former member of parliament, and a former minister of state, he should have known better as to what to say, and what not to say.
They maintained that Ghanaians were waiting with bated breath to see the reaction of the appropriate state institutions so that the suspicion that there are different laws for different people in Ghana, dependent on political persuasions, would be proved wrong.
The minority called on the judiciary to continue to stand firm and administer justice in accordance with the law, without fear or favour, or ill will towards any person, even if the NDC Chairman is brought before them on the charge of treason.
It would be recalled that the party National Chairman, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, attributed the string of losses suffered by the Attorney General, to what he said was bias judgments handed at the law courts.
The Attorney General has in recent times lost high profile cases, with the recent one being the striking out and discharge of Kwadwo Mpiani, ex-Chief of Staff, and Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby, Chief Executive of the erstwhile Ghana@50 Secretariat, both of whom were charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state.