By: Kwame Bediako
Minister of Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has responded firmly to suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s allegations that the choice of Adu Lodge as the venue for her hearing was intended to intimidate her.
Kwakye Ofosu clarified that Adu Lodge is a secure and appropriate state facility, stating, “The state only offered it upon the request of the committee. Let me also state that that facility (Adu Lodge) is not intimidating. It is like any regular state facility where business can be conducted to the extent that it is put in the right shape.”
Addressing concerns about secrecy and security, Kwakye Ofosu emphasized that the venue does not compromise the constitutional requirements of the hearing process. “Wherever these proceedings were held, it will still be in camera, as clearly stipulated in Article 146(8) of the 1992 Constitution. So that’s the proceedings are being held in Camera. It’s only in compliance with the Constitution,” he explained.
Kwakye Ofosu also rejected the Chief Justice’s characterization of Adu Lodge as intimidating and unfair, describing such comments as attempts to “obscure the process and bring in unrelated matters that seek to cast some aspersions or ill motives on government for affording the committee a place to do its work.”
“So to describe Adu Lodge in the terms that her leadership, the Chief Justice did, was most unfair and unjustifiable,” Kwakye Ofosu said, calling for focus on the legal process rather than unfounded allegations.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to upholding constitutional procedures without bias or interference, stating, “We have no interest in violating the Constitution by going into the merits of the case.”
Kwakye Ofosu highlighted that the committee is composed of experienced jurists and is expected to conduct its work within a reasonable time frame, ensuring fairness and due process throughout. He affirmed that the process respects constitutional safeguards and is designed to protect the integrity of the judicial inquiry.
