News:
April 23, 2025
The Minority has descended heavily the President of the Republic, H.E John Dramani Mahama over his decision to suspend the beleaguered Chief Justice Getrude Torkornoo.
The Minority described the move as ‘tyranny’ and a deviation from good governance; and also contends that the decision is a politically motivated witch-hunt aimed at controlling the Judiciary.
The Chief Justice is facing removal from office after three petitions were submitted to the President.
Following from that the President in line with Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution and in consultation with the Council of State, sets the stage for a formal inquiry into the petitions after a prima facie case was established in relation to the three petitions calling for the Chief Justice’s removal from office.
A five member committee including 1. Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang Justice of the supreme court chairman
2. Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, Justice of the Supreme Court – Member
3. Daniel Yaw Domelevo (Former Auditor-General) – Member
4. Major Flora Bazwaanura Dalugo (Ghana Armed Forces) – Member
5. Professor James Sefah Dzisah (Associate Professor, University of Ghana) – Member.” has thus been constituted under Article 146(6) to investigate the matter.
But the Minority in a press release on April 22, 2025, thinks the entire process is ill-motivated and a pattern of political persecution and misuse of state institutions to intimidate opponents.
“The decision by President John Dramani Mahama to suspend Her Ladyship Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo under the purported authority of Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, is nothing short of a brazen judicial coup, a reckless abuse of Executive power, and a direct assault on the independence of Ghana’s Judiciary.
“This move, taken while legitimate legal challenges are pending before the Supreme Court, reeks of intolerable political vendetta, Judicial intimidation, and a calculated attempt to pack the courts with NDC-sympathetic justices – as openly promised by President Mahama in Akosombo in 2023.”
The Minority thus calls for reinstatement of the Chief Justice pending the Supreme Court’s determination of the pending legal challenges.
“A halt to all removal proceedings until the judiciary has conclusively ruled on the constitutionality of the process”.
They warned that failure to halt the process and reinstate the Chief Justice will warrant legal and public resistance.
Ghanamps.com