In a rare and explosive turn of events, three petitions submitted to President John Dramani Mahama are threatening to upend Ghana’s judiciary as calls grow for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkonoo.
However, some of the petitions calling for the removal of the CJ are nothing but ludicrous.
According the petitions available to The Daily Gist, one of the petitioners is asking President Mahama to sack Justice Torkornoo for allegedly causing his arrest after a stormy court session.
The petitions, citing everything from constitutional violations to financial impropriety and judicial misconduct, are currently under review by the Council of State—a key step in the process outlined under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution for removing a justice of the Superior Court. The Council of State will determine if there are enough grounds to cause the removal of the Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice, in an unusual but telling move, responded to the allegations even before the petitions were formally acted on by the Council of State.
Judicial sources suggest she insisted on being given an opportunity “to see what she is being accused of” before the process proceeded. Her stance underscores what insiders are calling “a readiness to defend her name and office.”
The spotlight on Ghana’s judiciary could not be brighter.
Petitions:
Three very different voices have emerged to challenge the integrity of the nation’s most senior judge: a civil society group (Shining Stars of Ghana), a senior police officer and legal practitioner (ACP Ayamba Yakubu Akolgo), and a private citizen (Daniel Ofori).
Yet they all share one thing: a demand for accountability at the very top of the judicial pyramid.
Petition One:
On February 14, 2025, the civil society group Shining Stars of Ghana submitted a formal petition to President Mahama demanding the removal of the Chief Justice.
Their primary allegation is that Justice Torkonoo breached Article 144(2) of the Constitution by personally recommending five judges for elevation to the Supreme Court.
The petition states: “Her proposal to promote the judges was in breach of Article 144 of the 1992 Constitution.”
“By writing to the President in her personal capacity as the Chief Justice, she had met the grounds of stated misbehavior… No part of the process to appoint Justices of the Supreme Court admitted of her personal recommendation.”
That’s not all. The group also points to a ruling issued on October 15, 2024, in a case involving the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin.
The petitioners allege that the Chief Justice ruled on the matter “without hearing the Speaker,” violating the natural justice principle audi alteram partem, meaning “hear the other side.”
“This is clear grounds of misbehavior and incompetence by the Chief Justice.”
The petition is signed by Kingsley Agyei, the Chairman and Convenor of the group.
Petition Two:
In a stunning accusation, Assistant Commissioner of Police and legal practitioner ACP Ayamga Yakubu Akolgo narrates a courtroom confrontation that has shaken perceptions of judicial decorum.
He recounts that on November 14, 2023, during a Supreme Court hearing titled The Republic v High Court Sekondi, Ex Parte Ayamga Yakubu Akolgo, the Chief Justice subjected him to public humiliation.
According to ACP Ayamga: “She was unruly to me, asking me to ‘Stop shouting at the Court’ during my submissions.”
“Without provocation, [she] caused my arrest and detention for about two hours on the grounds that I was rude and exhibited conduct that was unbecoming of a lawyer.”
He further claims that official records of the day’s proceedings were mysteriously sanitized:
“When I requested the record of proceedings from the Supreme Court, I was shocked to see that it contained no reference to my arrest or the disparaging remarks the Chief Justice made off record.”
This, he argued, amounted to tampering with court records—“abuse of prestigious judicial office, breach of due process of law, and a rush of anger intended to ridicule and publicly embarrass” him.
He invoked Article 146(1), insisting that the CJ’s conduct “satisfies the threshold of misbehavior and incompetence,” and called for her suspension under Article 146(10) pending a full investigation.
Petition Three:
Perhaps the most detailed and far-reaching of the three petitions comes from a Ghanaian citizen, Daniel Ofori, who submitted a dossier of 21 alleged acts of misconduct and four accusations of incompetence against Chief Justice Torkonoo.
He accuses her of using GHS 261,890 in public funds for a personal foreign trip in 2023 involving her husband and daughter—both of whom, he says, were not entitled to travel benefits. On that same trip, an additional USD $30,000 was allegedly drawn as per diem.
According to Ofori: “In the same 2023, her Ladyship misappropriated GHS 75,580 on another trip to Arusha, Tanzania with her husband,”
“She also spent USD $14,000 of accountable imprest which she failed to account for.”
He also alleged interference in the high-profile criminal trial of Assin North MP, Gyekye Quayson, by ordering National Security operatives to seize court computers during proceedings.
“Her Ladyship instituted an unauthorized investigation into supposed tampering with records… and falsely accused and transferred Francis Baiden of the IT department.”
His accusations extended to irregular judicial appointments and administrative favoritism. Specifically, he cited:
Justice Cyra Pamela Addo (Court of Appeal) appointed Judicial Secretary.
Justice Helen Ofei (High Court) appointed Registrar of the Supreme Court.
His Honour Jojo Amoah Hagan (Circuit Court) appointed Registrar of the Court of Appeal (Civil Division).
In a scathing indictment, Ofori concluded: “She has treated the role as a personal fiefdom, rewarding favorites, punishing perceived dissenters, and bending the judiciary to serve private and political interests.”
Decision Looms:
While the Chief Justice has yet to be suspended, the Council of State is now tasked with determining whether she has a case to answer. If they decide she does, President Mahama could proceed to establish a committee of inquiry—and potentially suspend the CJ during investigations.
The stakes could not be higher. Ghana’s judiciary is walking a tightrope between accountability and institutional stability. For President Mahama, the petitions present both a political conundrum and a constitutional test.
The coming days will determine whether Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo’s tenure is remembered as a casualty of controversy or a symbol of resilience in turbulent times.
–BY Daniel Bampoe
