The Chairman of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Hon. Bernard Ahiafor, dismissed a petition filed against Supreme Court nominee, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, describing the allegations as “frivolous, facetious, worthless, and without merit.”
Speaking during the vetting session on Friday, June 20, Ahiafor explained that the petition, submitted by one Anthony Kwabena Rau, accused the nominee of insulting him in a 2019 High Court judgment. The complaint was based on the judge quoting a letter in evidence which allegedly contained offensive language about Ghanaians.
However, after reviewing the judgment and a subsequent ruling by the Court of Appeal, the Committee concluded that the petition lacked any legal or factual foundation.
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“The allegation that the judge insulted or attacked the petitioner is completely unfounded. The Court of Appeal reviewed the same matter in June 2023 and delivered its judgment, confirming there was no wrongdoing,” Ahiafor stated.
The vetting of the nominee had been temporarily suspended on Thursday to allow for a thorough examination of the petition but resumed on Friday following the Committee’s internal review.
Hon. Ahiafor emphasized that the Appointments Committee is not empowered to substitute the role of the Judicial Council or the Supreme Court in matters that have already been adjudicated.
He also revealed that supplementary documents submitted by the petitioner, alleging corruption against Charles Idan, Deputy Director of Finance at the Judicial Service, were unrelated to the nominee. These claims had previously been investigated by the Chief Justice, who found no wrongdoing.
“These additional documents have no nexus to the nominee. We see no reason why they should be admitted or used as evidence against His Lordship Justice Ackaah-Boafo,” Ahiafor clarified.
Citing Article 127(3) of the 1992 Constitution, the Chairman reminded the public that judges are protected from personal liability for actions taken in the exercise of judicial power.
Backing the Chairman’s position, Minority Leader and Ranking Member of the Committee, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, condemned what he described as an increasing culture of “pettiness and trivial attacks” on the judiciary. He warned that such behavior threatens the rule of law and the integrity of democratic institutions.
“Unfortunately, if you look at the ongoing trial of the Chief Justice, we have one Daniel Ofori who refers to a judgment the Chief Justice was involved in as a basis for attacking the woman and calling for her removal. In the case of Ayamga Yakubu Akolgo (Esq), similar frivolous allegations were made that the Chief Justice made certain pronouncements against him in open court. These two cases have now been deemed to amount to misconduct, leading to the suspension of the Chief Justice. That is deeply unfortunate,” Afenyo-Markin asserted.
He praised the Committee, however, for standing firm and “rising above pettiness and trivialities.”
In response, Chairman Ahiafor cautioned against drawing premature conclusions about ongoing matters involving the Chief Justice.
“We are dealing with issues of fact and applying the law to the facts. So I plead with the Minority Leader not to preempt anything,” he advised.
The Committee has since vetted Justice Ackaah-Boafo.
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com