Kofi Bentil, Vice-President of IMANI Africa, has strongly defended the constitutional process that led to the dismissal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, emphasizing that the move was lawful and not politically motivated.
Speaking on TV3’s Keypoints programme, Bentil addressed public concerns regarding the controversial decision:
“This is not a mere witch-hunt. Constitutional processes were followed, and there was no breach of the letter of the Constitution,” he stated.
However, Bentil cautioned that the precedent of removing high-ranking judicial officials must not become routine, warning it could threaten the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
“Removing a Chief Justice should not be done lightly. If this continues, every new president could walk in, clear the Chief Justice and security heads, and replace them with their own people. That is not what the Constitution is meant for,” he added.
Background of the Removal
The removal of Justice Torkornoo followed findings by an Article 146 Committee, which concluded she had misused public funds for personal travel. In September 2023, she reportedly billed the Judicial Service for two international trips—one to Tanzania with her husband, and another to the United States with her daughter.
IMANI President's Position
Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, took a more critical stance, asserting that Justice Torkornoo’s actions could have resulted in more severe consequences under different jurisdictions.
“Listening to all the arguments, I found that she obtained an imprest she was not entitled to spend. The justification that a finance officer should have guided her does not hold. She was the head of the judiciary—she knows the law,” Cudjoe said on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue.
“In other countries, she would have been jailed by now,” he concluded.
Presidential Action and Public Debate
President John Dramani Mahama officially dismissed Justice Torkornoo after the committee’s report was submitted. The decision has since sparked widespread public discourse, raising critical questions about judicial accountability, executive overreach, and the independence of democratic institutions.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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