The Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana, has waded into the controversial Ya Na ruling, accusing officials of the ruling National Democratic Congress and the opposition New Patriotic Party of making jaundiced comments with the potential to destabilize the country. Executive Director of the CDD, Prof. Gyimah-Boadi charged all officials directly or indirectly linked to the Ya Na murder and its ruling to refrain from making political comments on the judge’s verdict. Justice E.K. Ayebi acquitted and discharged 15 persons charged with the murder of the overlord of Dagbon, provoking spontaneous and wild jubilation by some Abudu youth while some Andani youths went violent. Politicians and social commentators supporting the two leading political parties have either made disparaging remarks not only on the ruling but on the person of the Judge or have mocked the prosecution’s attempt to seek justice. Gyimah-Boadi told Joy News such utterances do not augur well for the sanctity of the judiciary. “The politicization of commentary and the dogged refusal to make commentary on the trial and the judicial ruling not based on points of law but mainly on partisan sentiments” will be injurious to the country, he said. According to him any attempt to discredit the judiciary will have dire consequences on the country. “We must have a judiciary and so it is important that in whatever we do we refrain from attacking the decisions of judges in a partisan manner and especially that we avoid mobilizing partisan political sentiments against such a key governance institution and its personnel.” He said if people are not content with a ruling by a judge or have reasons to believe the judge has behaved in a way inimical to the course of justice, there are self correcting measures inherent in the judicial system for redress. “If we all decide that we have no confidence in the judiciary and if we are not doing so by going through the due process of filing an appeal, impeaching judges who have acted wrongly… we are killing the institution and can we afford to live in a society governed by the rule of law,” he quizzed. He expressed the hope that the Constitution Review Committee will consider a proposal of setting up an independent prosecutorial body separate from the office of the Attorney General in order to ensure a depoliticisation of the criminal prosecutions of public officials. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana