The President of the Court of Appeal, Monica Dongban-Mensem, has disassociated herself from news making the rounds that she had a list of preferred candidates in relation to the proposed appointment of justices to the Court of Appeal.
In a press release signed by her on February 28, 2021, Dongban-Mensem said it was propagated by enemies of the Judiciary.
While giving an explanation, she explained that the exercise passed through the normal process of appointment into the Judiciary.
She said, “I am compelled to denounce and dispel the campaign of calumny which has been going on for some weeks now about the proposed appointment of justices to the Court of Appeal.
“Let it be known also that the current exercise passed through the due and usual process of appointment into the Judiciary.
“A total of 80 nominees were shortlisted and recommended for the appointment of 20 justices to fill the existing vacancies. I state on my honour that any of the 80 nominees could be appointed.
“It is unfortunate that some people have elected to go to the press without hard facts which are readily available to those who seek to know.
“I hereby state that the current recommendation pending determination by the National Judicial Council (NJC) was done without any preference for tribe, creed or association. If there were sufficient vacancies to be filled, all the nominees would have been recommended.
“I hereby totally disassociate myself from those who are insinuating that I had a list of preferred candidates based on tribe or religion. This is clearly the hand work of detractors who want to destabilize the Judiciary.”
