President Dramani Mahama on Monday, September 1, 2025, removed Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo from office, following recommendations from a five-member committee constituted under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
A petition dated March 17, 2025, submitted by Ghanaian citizen Mr. Daniel Ofori, sought her removal on grounds of misconduct and stated misbehaviour.
After reviewing the petition, her response, and advice from the Council of State, President Mahama determined that a prima facie case had been established, triggering the constitutional procedure for removal. In line with Article 146(6), President Mahama, in consultation with the Council of State, established a committee chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang to investigate allegations.
Members included Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, Major Flora Bazaawaanuba Dalugo, and Professor James Sefe Dzisah.
The Committee submitted its report and recommendations to the President following which she has removed from office effectively immediately.
The committed in its report stated that Justice Torkornoo had engaged in conduct amounting to stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1).
The committee declared that the Chief Justice’s conduct fell squarely within the constitutional definition of “stated misbehaviour” and, therefore, recommended her removal in accordance with Article 146(7).
Key Findings
- Unlawful expenditure of public funds: The committee held that the Chief Justice caused the Judicial Service to pay travel expenses for her husband and daughter during private holiday trips in 2023, including per diem allowances. This, the report stated, was an “avoidable and reckless dissipation of public funds.”
- Abuse of discretionary power: The committee found that her handling of the transfer of one Mr. Baiden breached Article 296(a) and (b) of the Constitution, describing the act as misbehaviour.
- Interference in judicial appointments: The report also noted that she sought to bypass the established process for nominating Justices of the Supreme Court, contrary to precedent set in the Ghana Bar Association case. The committee concluded this amounted to misbehaviour.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
