Accra, April 2, GNA – Rev Dr Worlanyo Mensah, Economist and Independent Presidential Candidate, has called for an end to pronouncements on the case before the Supreme Court about legality or otherwise of the LGBTQ+ law enacted by Parliament.
He said such utterances and comments from the public, especially politically exposed persons, had the tendencies to influence and gag the Justices from their learned and law positions.
“Some pronouncements like what President Akufo-Addo said that he will make his decision on the anti-LGBTQ bill after the supreme court rules on its constitutionality and the finance ministry’s warning on lost of billions of dollars in World Bank funding can cage the Justices of the Apex Court indirectly,” Rev Dr Mensah said.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he said the Justices were learned people and full of wisdom, adding that “let’s stop these pronouncements, allow the Justices to apply wisdom and adjudicate within the remit of the law.”
The Independent Presidential Candidate said all we need on the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill” was to allow the arms of government to take action within the remit of the law as Parliament had done.
“We are a sovereign country and must take decisions that help us as citizens and country. I am encouraging the Supreme Court to be steadfast and not be persuaded by internal and external forces,” he said.
Ghana’s Parliament passed the LGBTQ+ bill, imposing a prison sentence of up to five years for the “wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities.”
Gay sex is already punishable by up to three years in prison.
The new legislation was backed by the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC).
GNA