P.K. Sarpong questions Chief Justice over “selective justice” concerns
“Judiciary Must Not Become Instrument for Settling Political Scores” – Commentator Tells Baffoe-Bonnie
Public commentator P.K. Sarpong has written an open letter to the Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, raising concerns over what he describes as a “disturbing pattern” of selective justice in the courts.
In the letter published on Facebook, Sarpong questioned why “warrants or special directives appear to be associated so prominently with cases involving individuals who served in a previous administration,” while similar urgency is not evident in other matters before the courts.
“Why Only These Cases?”
Sarpong asked whether the cases involving former political appointees are truly “the only cases before the courts that require special attention, intervention or particular judicial directives.”
He noted that judges deal with numerous cases daily, and asked: “What distinguishes these cases from the countless others before the courts?”
“The Ghanaian public deserves answers,” he stated.
Call For Transparency And Equal Application
The commentator stressed that while no public official should be above the law, “neither should anyone be subjected to selective or politically motivated justice.”
He warned that there is a “dangerous line between the legitimate pursuit of accountability and the weaponisation of state institutions against political opponents.”
“Once citizens begin to believe that court processes are being selectively activated for political purposes, confidence in the entire justice system begins to erode,” Sarpong wrote.
He urged the Chief Justice to address the concerns “not through silence, but through transparency and equal application of the law.”
Sarpong added that if established procedures apply to these cases, “those procedures should be explained transparently.”
“We Need An Independent Judiciary”
Sarpong cautioned against a return to what he called a “PNDC-style system in which institutions of state are perceived as instruments for pursuing political enemies.”
“Ghana does not need” that, he said. “We need an independent judiciary that commands the confidence of both government and opposition, the powerful and the powerless.”
He concluded that “Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done fairly, consistently and without political discrimination,” adding that “The credibility of the judiciary depends on it.”
The Chief Justice’s office is yet to respond to the letter.
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