Mr Abraham Amaliba, Director General of the National Road Safety Authority, has revealed that former Chief Justice Esaaba Torkornoo engaged with the presidency to retire from service to protect her end-of-service benefits.
According to Amaliba, a private legal practitioner and founder of the National Democratic Congress’s legal team, Madam Torkornoo officially appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to allow her to retire honorably or step aside so she would not lose her benefits. He said she did this through two prominent individuals whose names he chose to withhold.
This disclosure follows concerns raised by several individuals regarding the removal of the Chief Justice and the potential loss of her end-of-service benefits.
Some have argued that a better approach could have been used to allow the Chief Justice, who had served in the judiciary for over a decade, to leave with her benefits.
Mr. Amaliba, who appeared on TV3’s Keypiubgs on Saturday, September 6, 2025, made the disclosure after panel members asked why she was not given the opportunity to resign honorably.
He further disclosed that processes were underway to allow her to resign or retire peacefully so she could receive her benefits. However, when the presidency prepared the necessary documents, she went directly to court to challenge her suspension, making it impossible to finalize the arrangement.
“She approached the President through these two eminent people, very high people,” Amaliba stated. “Was anything done? I am saying yes. She then went to court,” which prevented the authorities from agreeing to her terms.
Meanwhile, Mr. Amaliba has also argued that claims that the grounds for her removal did not meet the threshold were false, citing the removals of former Electoral Commissioner Charlotte Osei and Lauretta Lamptey, a former head of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
He also criticised former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo for describing the removal as a “completely unnecessary process,” stating that her commentary was merely an afterthought.
According to Amaliba, it would have been unacceptable to allow a Chief Justice who had contracts, per diem, and other benefits for her family to remain in office, as this constitutes a “stated misbehaviour” or judicial misconduct.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
