Private legal practitioner Thaddeus Sory has alleged that Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin had a significant commercial relationship with Ghana’s Judicial Service during the tenure of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
According to Sory, the alleged relationship involved the provision of services to the Judicial Service from which Afenyo-Markin was said to have made substantial commercial gains. He made the claim while discussing the circumstances surrounding the removal of the former Chief Justice and the subsequent vetting of her successor.
Sory alleged that the services connected to Afenyo-Markin were financially significant, describing the commercial benefits as “huge.”
He further claimed that Afenyo-Markin’s relationship with the former Chief Justice was one of the factors that influenced his client’s decision to petition for her removal.
The lawyer also raised concerns about what he described as the unusually favourable judicial treatment Afenyo-Markin received in a particular case. He referenced an instance in which, according to him, Afenyo-Markin obtained orders from a full panel of the Supreme Court within a short period.
Sory additionally alleged that personal connections between Afenyo-Markin and Torkornoo influenced their interactions, although these claims have not been independently established.
The allegations come amid an intense political and legal debate surrounding the former Chief Justice’s removal and the appointment of her successor.
Sory has argued that Afenyo-Markin’s strong position on matters concerning the judiciary should not necessarily be viewed solely as a matter of public or parliamentary interest, alleging that personal and commercial interests may also be involved.
The claims are allegations by Sory and have not been established as fact. Afenyo-Markin’s response to the specific allegation regarding the purported “huge” Judicial Service contract was not included in the available report.
