A photo collage of John Mahama and Gertrude Torkornoo
Dr George Domfe, a Development Economist at the University of Ghana (UG), has alleged that if President John Dramani Mahama goes ahead to sack suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Torkornoo without any evidence of wrongdoing, it will be a fulfillment of a promise he made prior to assuming office.
According to Dr Domfe, who is also the Founding President of Africa Policy, the President, while in opposition, promised to “balance” the judiciary with members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), in response to what he described as the dominance of judges appointed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the tenure of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Speaking on a panel discussion on Peace FM on June 30, 2025, Dr Domfe referenced a press conference by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, a Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, which was held to counter the Chief Justice’s public rebuttal of the allegations against her.
He noted that Kwakye Ofosu did not directly refute the Chief Justice’s claims during his press briefing. As such, he argued, if the Chief Justice is indeed innocent and yet the President proceeds to remove her from office, it would appear as though the action is politically motivated and intended to fulfill Mahama’s earlier promise to the NDC.
“I am not a lawyer and I don’t fully understand legal matters, but if what the Chief Justice has put out is true, that she is innocent and they still go ahead to remove her, then it will be a fulfillment of President John Dramani Mahama’s promise to ‘balance’ the courts with NDC judges because he believes there are too many NPP-appointed judges there,” he said.
Dr Domfe added that on social media, he had observed people celebrating the possibility of her removal, anticipating that it would make way for others, presumably aligned with the NDC to occupy her position.
“I told someone who was jubilating that he doesn’t know what might happen in the next administration. If the precedent is set, then the next government could also come in and sack the entire Supreme Court and replace them all,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, who was suspended by the President following three separate petitions seeking her removal, has publicly denied all allegations levelled against her. However, the President has constituted a committee to investigate the matter.
AM/KA
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