Martin Amidu has taken aim at former Chief Justice and current Council of State member Sophia Akuffo, accusing her of breaching her oath by publicly criticizing the constitutional process used to suspend and investigate sitting Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Responding to remarks Akuffo made at the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) forum on April 30 - in which she described Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution as "unfair" and called for amendments to allow a right of appeal for a Chief Justice found guilty by a committee - Amidu questioned the legality and ethics of such commentary from someone directly involved in the consultative process. "A member of the Council of State has no legal, ethical, or moral authority to mount a public platform to discuss the constitutionality of a provision in respect of which the Council was consulted and acted," Amidu said. "Ms.
Akuffo's conduct is a clear breach of her oath as a Council of State member and sends the wrong message to the public." Amidu referenced a panel discussion on Asempa FM's Ekosiisen programme, where former MP Andrew Egyapa Mercer reportedly stated: "God bless former Chief Justice Sophia Akufo for abstaining from the removal process of Justice Torkonoo; I however expect her to make the reasons public." Amidu believes Akuffo's comments at the CRC forum were in direct response to this call. "It appears she used the CRC as a platform to justify her abstention during the Council's vote," he argued. "But in doing so, she's compromised the confidentiality of the process and undermined the work of the committee appointed by the President." He added that by openly criticising the fairness of Article 146, Akuffo indirectly discredited her colleagues on the Council of State who voted in favour of the inquiry. "Her comments create the impression that the petitions are unmeritorious and that the Council acted improperly in endorsing further action," he said.
Amidu also pointed out a perceived double standard. "Why is she only advocating a right of appeal for a Chief Justice and not for other Superior Court Justices?
