Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Dr. Justice Srem Sai, has called on the public to remain measured in their reactions following the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. He emphasized that the establishment of a prima facie case does not equate to guilt.
Speaking to JoyNews on Tuesday, April 22, Dr. Srem Sai clarified that the decision only indicates that the allegations are not frivolous.
“At this stage, we don’t even know whether the allegations are true,” he said. “A prima facie case means there’s something to answer, not that the Chief Justice is guilty.”
He stressed that the matter is a constitutional and legal issue and urged Ghanaians to avoid politicizing the process.
His comments follow heated political discourse, particularly from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), some of whose members held a press conference condemning the suspension as unjust and politically motivated. They warned it could erode judicial independence and set a harmful precedent.
Dr. Srem Sai also criticized remarks by former Deputy Attorney-General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, who had described the Council of State’s advice on the suspension as "poisonous."
“If neither of us has seen the petition, it’s unfair to attack the integrity of the Council of State,” he said. “We know its composition. Suggesting they’ve ‘poisoned’ the system merely for recognizing a case to be answered is unfortunate.”
He concluded by affirming that his office will continue to monitor the situation to ensure constitutional procedures are followed.
“If the process violates the Constitution, we will be the first to raise concerns. But as it stands, everything appears to be within legal bounds,” he said.
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