Abronye lists Supreme, High Courts judges who once belonged to NPP, NDC, PNC

Amid criticism over President Akufo-Addo’s nomination of Justice Ernest Gaewu as a Supreme Court judge, Kwame Baffoe, alias Abronye, the Bono Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party, has listed some justices of the superior courts who once held positions in political parties.

Abronye, in attempt to diffuse the position by some members of the National Democratic Congress that President Akufo-Addo is stuffing the apex court of the land with members of his own party, mentioned about six popular justices he claims once wielded political party cards.

The list includes Justice Atuguba (retired) who he alleges was once an NPP Parliamentary candidate for 1992; Justice Yaw Appau who was a Regional Secretary of the Provisional National Defense Council which metamorphosed into NDC and Justice Gabriel Pwarmang who was a regional chairman of the People National Convention.

Others are Justice George Boadi who he claims contested and won parliamentary elections on the ticket of the NDC; Justice Frank Amoah who is of the NPP heritage and Justice and Francis Gyafiiry Korbieh who represented the Jirapa constituency for two terms on the ticket of the NDC.

Abronye also argued that the constitution of Ghana, in no way bars an individual with such history from holding a judicial office.

“If an appointment is being made in disregard of the constitution saying that one cannot be a judge or a lawyer because he is NPP or NDC, we would agree that there has been a constitutional breach. But as I speak to you today, if you pick the 1992 Constitution, there is nowhere that an individual is barred because of their political affiliation,” he stated.

“When you take our Supreme Court or the history of appointing judges, this is not the first time a person with a history of political affiliation has been appointed to the Supreme Court. Justice Atuguba was the NPP parliamentary candidate for Bolgatanga Central in 1992 when we boycotted the elections that year.

“After that, Rawlings appointed him to the Supreme Court in 1995. He discharged his mandate diligently. But he was NPP; the only political card he possessed is an NPP judge,” Abronye claimed.

The appointees are Justice Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, Justice George Kingsley Koomsom, and Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu (all from the Court of Appeal), while Justice Yao Gaewu was appointed from the High Court.

The appointment is on the advice of the Judicial Council as a result of pending vacancies in the Apex court.

This was announced by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, who said the president is seeking the approval of parliament for the appointment of the nominees as justices of the Supreme Court.