NDC chairman's attack on Judiciary is a threat to rule of law - Gabby

By Kobina Welsing/Citifmonline.com | Wed 18th August, 2010 11:30 GMT

The Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Gabby Otchere Darko has described comments by the National Chairman of the ruling NDC as “frightening, dangerous and a threat to the democracy of the country”.

Dr. Kwabena Adjei, after a news conference in Accra on Tuesday August 17 to express outrage at recent court rulings which have all gone against the state, said the government will intervene and save the image of the judiciary from sinking further, if the Chief Justice fails to fight what he sees as growing rot within the judiciary.

According to the party chairman “people in the judiciary can make a very good case look very bad if the judiciary is bias, if the judiciary has made its mind in one direction, not even Jesus Christ who appointed as the Attorney General can change things. We will clean it if they don’t take steps to clean it. We will clean it and let everybody everywhere blame us for interfering in the judiciary and we will take them on”.

Mr Gabby Otchere Darko speaking on the issue on Wednesday August 18 with host of Citi Breakfast Show Bernard Avle, said the comment is a threat to the rule of law and a threat to the democracy.

He added that the National Democratic Congress has no constitutional right to interfere in the judicial system.
“I think it is frightening, I mean this is a threat to our democracy and a threat to the rule of law...the constitution does not allow the NDC to play a role in the cleansing of the judiciary”.

Meanwhile, a Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also a panel on the show said the government will critically analyse the comments by Dr Kwabena Adjei and come out with an appropriate response.

 “I am not government so we need to study the statement; it has come to our notice and come out with an official government response. If I am told that this is an official government response so go and put it out I would do that, as I speak to you I haven’t seen the statements.”