The Presidency, through spokesperson Felix Kwashi Kposo, has responded to the recent press engagement by Her Ladyship, the Suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
This response was made during a briefing held to address concerns about inaccuracies in the Chief Justice’s remarks concerning the petition filed against her and the work of the investigative committee.
Mr. Kposo stated, “Many of you in the media have reached out to me, seeking to inquire about what government makes of the press engagements that her ladyship, the Chief Justice, just had, which bordered on the petitions brought against her and the deliberations of the committee tasked to look into the matter.”
He explained that while the Presidency would normally refrain from commenting on active committee matters, certain claims made during the press engagement required clarification. According to him, “A number of things were said at the media engagements that if left uncorrected could create an erroneous impression, and project government in a very unfair, unjust, unwarranted light.”
Confidentiality and Constitutional Compliance in Chief Justice Proceedings
Mr. Kposo reiterated that the Chief Justice has the right to express her views, provided it aligns with constitutional guidelines. He said, “We respect the right of her ladyship, the Chief Justice, to express any view that she holds about the matter in question to the extent that it is consistent with the rules.”
He further stressed the constitutional mandate for confidentiality in such matters. “The constitution requires confidentiality on the part of all parties. It is the reason why the presidency, on behalf of His Excellency, the President, has refrained from commentary on the matter beyond stating what the president has done in compliance with the constitution.”
On allegations of misconduct by the President, Mr. Kposo defended his actions. “Nobody has been able to ascribe any known verifiable constitutional breach through the president in the way that he has handled this particular matter.”
He added, “From the very first steps in this matter, the president has kept fidelity to the constitution and has respected the spirit and letter of the constitution.”
Addressing Political Allegations and Historical References
The Chief Justice was also said to have implied a political motive behind the process. Mr. Kposo responded, “Her ladyship, the Chief Justice, all but insinuated that there was some political agenda at play to oust her, and that this whole process is the result of sin.”
He maintained that President Mahama acted solely on constitutional grounds. “The President took an oath to which he was incidentally sworn by her ladyship, the Chief Justice herself. And in that oath he swore to abide by the 1992 Constitution.”
On accusations connecting the petition to past judicial murders, Mr. Kposo firmly rejected any such link. “The attempts to link the dastardly killings of some supreme court judges and a military officer to this case are most disingenuous.”
He clarified that the venue for the proceedings, EduLodge, was irrelevant to the case’s integrity. “Wherever these proceedings were held, it will still be in camera as clearly stipulated in Article 146(8) of the 1992 constitution.”
Commitment to Due Process and Final Clarifications
Mr. Kposo concluded by emphasizing the government’s decision to avoid public commentary on the case’s merits. “We have no interest in violating the constitution by going to the merits of the case, and that is why government has refrained.”
He also noted the government’s concerns over early media leaks. “The very first sign of any leakage was the letter that the Chief Justice wrote requesting for copies of the petition. Before the letter got to the presidency, it was in the media.”
In his final remarks, Mr. Kposo said, “What has happened today is most regrettable. As government or as the president, President Mahama is committed to upholding the rule of law.”
He reiterated the principle of equality under the law, saying, “If members of the judiciary themselves are alleged to be engaged in some wrongdoing, the processes laid down and spelled out by the constitution ought to be respected, and that is exactly what has happened.”
