The Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mustapha Gbande, has called out Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, accusing him of having “proprietary interest” in the Judiciary.

The Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency alleges that the Efutu MP personally damaged the image of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo.

He said Mr Afenyo-Markin’s own actions politicised the Judiciary and exposed the Chief Justice to public distrust.

Speaking on PM Express, Mr Gbande said he had always feared the appointment of Justice Torkonoo as Chief Justice.

He said he raised issues in the past and still stands by them.

According to him, a petition went through a committee, which found reasons why she should not be there, stressing that the matter was never about President John Mahama or the NDC.

Mr Gbande said he believed in strong institutions and had seen women lead the Judiciary with integrity, citing Justice Sophia Akuffo as an example, stating that he would support her again if the opportunity came.

He said she discharged herself competently and without public suspicion, but he could not say the same of Justice Torkonoo.

Mr Gbande said the former Chief Justice’s troubles were deepened by the posture of Mr Afenyo-Markin.

He said the Majority Leader destroyed her. He said if she had anyone to accuse, it should be him.

When asked why, he said Mr Afenyo-Markin "helped in politicising her. The individuals who are bystanders, when they look at the issues, what they see is politicisation and who caused it? It was Afenyo-Markin." 

Evans Mensah pointed out that in Mr Afenyo-Markin’s view, the Majority launched a partisan onslaught against the Judiciary. But Mr Gbande dismissed that.

He asked, “Who? Afenyo-Markin?” He said Afenyo-Markin had a proprietary interest. He said the Majority Leader was benefiting from the Judiciary. When pressed for clarity, he said Mr Afenyo-Markin was a subcontractor, stressing that his companies were doing business at the Judiciary.

When the host said he had no evidence, Mr Gbande replied that Afenyo-Markin had never denied it. When the host reminded him that silence was not proof, Mr Gbande insisted that if anyone exposed Justice Torkonoo to crisis, it was Afenyo-Markin.

He said it was not the NPP as a whole, but the Majority Leader opened her up and made Ghanaians believe she was a window created by President Akufo-Addo to grant escape routes for persons perceived to have stolen money from the country.

He rejected claims that the NDC engineered her removal, stating that he did not see the NDC’s hand in it. But he admitted that he was involved.

He said he took part in the advocacy and spoke against the former Chief Justice anytime he had the opportunity.

Mr Gbande said he would even speak against President Mahama if he felt the President was wrong, stressing job security would not override his principles.

He said Justice Torkonoo would have done herself good if she had removed politics from her work.

The NDC Deputy General Secretary said no public officer was perfect, but when it becomes clear that Ghanaians are short-changed, the country suffers.

Mustapha Gbande said he is not ready to take his children abroad, but rather they will stay in the country since "Ghana is a prosperous country and must be made better."