Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has strongly criticised Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, accusing him of playing a significant role in the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Afenyo-Markin described the Chief Justice as a “grand conspirator” in the process that resulted in Torkornoo’s removal from office, intensifying the political debate surrounding the controversial development.
The Minority Leader has consistently questioned the manner in which the process against Torkornoo was conducted, arguing that it raised serious concerns about transparency, constitutional procedure and judicial independence.
Torkornoo was suspended by President John Mahama in April 2025 after a petition triggered an inquiry under Article 146 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. A committee was subsequently established to investigate the allegations against her.
On September 1, 2025, President Mahama removed Torkornoo from office after receiving the committee’s report, which concluded that grounds of stated misbehaviour had been established. The Presidency said the President was constitutionally required to act in accordance with the committee’s recommendation.
Afenyo-Markin, however, has rejected the process and has repeatedly described Torkornoo’s removal as problematic.
He has argued that the Minority’s concerns go beyond the former Chief Justice herself and relate to what he considers the broader implications of the process for Ghana’s constitutional democracy.
The Minority Leader previously criticised the committee’s proceedings, claiming that multiple petitions had been referred to it but that the process was not completed before the final report was submitted.
He also questioned why the report was submitted on September 1 and why Torkornoo’s removal was announced shortly afterwards.
Following the removal, Afenyo-Markin described the development as an assault on Ghana’s democracy and questioned whether the inquiry had been concluded properly.
“We are mourning democracy,” he said in comments reported by the Daily Graphic, while challenging the circumstances surrounding the committee’s work.
His latest criticism directed at Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie adds another dimension to the political controversy.
By describing the Chief Justice as a “grand conspirator,” Afenyo-Markin is alleging that the head of Ghana’s Judiciary was not merely a passive participant in events surrounding Torkornoo’s removal.
However, these remain political allegations from the Minority Leader and should not be presented as established facts without evidence or a response from the Chief Justice.
The controversy has renewed discussion about the balance between Ghana’s executive, legislative and judicial arms of government and the safeguards surrounding the removal of senior judicial officers.
Supporters of the government’s position have maintained that the process followed constitutional procedures, while critics continue to question its transparency and fairness.
The disagreement is therefore likely to remain a significant political and constitutional issue as discussions about judicial independence and the rule of law continue.
Torkornoo, who served as Ghana’s Chief Justice from June 2023 until her removal in September 2025, has also challenged her removal through legal proceedings.
The latest comments from Afenyo-Markin are expected to add further fuel to the debate over the circumstances surrounding her departure and the role played by various judicial and political actors.
Watch the video below:
“Justice Baffoe-Bonnie was part of the grand conspiracy against Justice Torkornoo”- Osahene Alexander Afenyo-Markin Minority Leader pic.twitter.com/Q3mISKd5hB
— Louis Anokye (@LouisAnokye6) August 17, 2026
Source: Thepressradio.com
