President John Mahama has suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, initiating a formal investigation into petitions alleging misconduct, the Ghanaian Presidency announced Tuesday.
The suspension follows the establishment of a five-member committee tasked with probing the allegations, in line with Article 146(6) of Ghana’s Constitution. That provision requires a presidential inquiry, with advice from the Council of State, when a prima facie case is determined against a judge of the superior courts.
The presidency said in a statement that President Mahama, after evaluating the petitions and consulting the Council of State, concluded that “sufficient grounds” exist for a formal investigation.
The committee appointed to conduct the inquiry spans Ghana’s judiciary, civil service, military, and academia:
- Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang – Supreme Court
- Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu – Supreme Court
- Daniel Yaw Domelevo – Former Auditor-General
- Major Flora Bazwaanura Dalugo – Ghana Armed Forces
- Professor James Sefah Dzisah – University of Ghana
Under Article 146(10), the President is empowered to suspend the Chief Justice during the investigation. The suspension takes immediate effect and will remain in place pending the committee’s findings.
The rare move to suspend the country’s top judicial officer underscores mounting scrutiny of public institutions in Ghana, where calls for transparency and accountability have grown louder in recent years.
Source:TheDotNews