Suspended Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, has broken her silence for the first time since impeachment proceedings were initiated against her, firmly stating, “I no go resign.” She described the entire process as flawed, politically driven, and a violation of her rights.
🔍 Background: Why the CJ Was Suspended
Justice Torkornoo, who has served as Chief Justice since 2023, was suspended after three separate petitions were filed to President John Mahama calling for her removal.
Following constitutional protocol, the president referred the petitions to the Council of State, which found prima facie merit in the allegations. Based on this advice, Mahama issued a suspension order and established a five-member committee to investigate.
The committee’s first hearing began on May 15, 2025, but Justice Torkornoo and other lawmakers took the matter to the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of the process. The court, however, dismissed all five applications.
🗣️ CJ Speaks: “I Go Fight This Mata”
Speaking at a press conference, Justice Torkornoo described the proceedings as “calculated” to remove her and insisted she would not quit.
“If I resign or retire, it go mean say I accept illegality and false claims. I go speak up.”
She added that her refusal to step aside is about protecting judicial integrity and ensuring her case does not become a dangerous precedent for Ghana.
⚖️ Claims of Unfair Hearing and Intimidation
Torkornoo outlined several grievances with the ongoing proceedings:
-
Panel allegedly violated her rights by denying her legal counsel on the first hearing day.
-
Petitioners were excused from testifying, denying her the right to cross-examination.
-
She claims she was body-searched and her handbag inspected, breaching protocol for a sitting CJ.
-
Hearings are held at Edu Lodge, a government facility she describes as a “high-security zone meant to intimidate”.
-
She was not given clear specifics of the allegations early enough to mount a proper defense.
💰 Allegations Addressed
Torkornoo denied accusations of misusing public funds for private travel with her family. She explained that all travel fell within the Judicial Service’s conditions of service, and that unused per diem allowances were returned—up to $9,600.
She also dismissed claims that she bypassed due process by advising the former President Nana Akufo-Addo to appoint judges in 2024 without consultation.
🛑 Government Responds: “We Dey Follow Constitution”
The government, in a counter press conference led by spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, dismissed Torkornoo’s statements as misleading.
“Di venue for the panel hearing na goment facility dem choose to stop leaks. The CJ’s claim that it was meant to intimidate her is unfair.”
The government emphasized that no step in the process violates the Constitution, and accused the CJ of breaching protocol by bringing confidential proceedings into the public.
👮 On Death Threats and Public Sympathy
While Justice Torkornoo cited threats to her life, the government insisted such issues should be reported to the police, not the media.
Critics have argued that her public declarations are an attempt to garner sympathy and politicize what is meant to be a constitutional process.
🔚 “I No Go Sidon Quiet”
In closing, the CJ reaffirmed her commitment to face the process head-on:
“I never go sidon make this flawed process stand. If I no talk, this staged political agenda based on false claims go become law for Ghana.”
With over 30 years of legal experience and 20 years as a judge, Torkornoo insists she has never taken a bribe and that her integrity remains intact.
As Ghana’s judiciary and executive branches face off in a high-stakes legal and political battle, all eyes remain on the outcome of the committee’s final recommendation.
Source: https://www.bbc.com
