Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has accused the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the United Kingdom Bar Council of being misled in their recent call for the reinstatement of suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo.

In a strongly worded statement, Dr. Apaak described the joint release by the two Associations as “colonialist-induced” and based on misinformation.

He argued that those who convinced the groups to issue the statement only sought to deceive them with unfounded claims.

“It baffles me how you are strangely unhappy with lawful actions undertaken as dictated by the constitution of our nation,” Dr. Apaak wrote.

“Your collaborators have deceived you into damaging your reputation with these baseless demands.

Withdraw your unjustified statement, and apologise to Ghanaians.”

The Deputy Minister warned that the groups had risked their credibility by making such pronouncements without a full appreciation of Ghana’s constitutional provisions.

He further stressed that Ghana is a sovereign nation whose president is accountable only to its citizens.

Dr. Apaak described as “impudent” the demand by the UK Bar Council and Commonwealth Lawyers Association for the immediate reinstatement of Chief Justice Torkonoo, insisting that Ghanaians would not “tolerate such nonsensical colonialist-induced insults, disguised as demands.”

His remarks follow a joint statement from the UK Bar Council and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, in which the two bodies expressed “serious concern” over Justice Torkonoo’s suspension and called on President John Mahama to reinstate her “without delay.”