Gertrude Torkornoo was appointed Chief Justice of Ghana on June 12, 2023, after Kwasi Anin-Yeboah retired in May 2023. Shortly after her appointment, even though she has to serve the nation and the people, the new Chief Justice revealed to Ghanaians that she is to serve Akufo-Addo and her political party, the NPP, alone. That’s when things really start to go wrong in a country that has already been destroyed by a state-capture governance, based on a book named “Agyapadie.”
In a recent article, I made it clear that Gertrude Torkornoo, the struggling chief justice who is refusing to step down, was extremely biased and consistently broke the constitution to support the NPP and Akufo-Addo because the former president had misled her into believing Mahama would never be elected president of Ghana again. It wasn’t only the chief justice who was misled about Mahama; the electoral commission’s head, Jean Mensa, another political criminal, shared this belief.
If the NPP wants Gertrude Torkornoo to continue serving as chief justice in Mahama’s administration, it isn’t because she is unique or has provided unwavering service to Ghanaians. Since many NPP politicians are involved in serious corruption scandals and state-property lootings, according to the ORAL report submitted to President John Mahama. Therefore, the fight to retain Gertrude Torkornoo is to use her as a shield to prevent accountability, facing legal action, or going to prison.
It makes sense to thousands of Ghanaians that if the youth are threatening Mahama that if he doesn’t remove Gertrude Torkornoo, they won’t support the NDC in 2028. Their demand demonstrates to any shrewd Ghanaian that the nation and its citizens were impacted by the chief justice’s persistent constitutional violations in support of the NPP. The same abuse of power and violations of the constitution happened during the era of Kwasi Anin-Yeboah.
According to Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, an independent body may be dismissed by the Council of State for misconduct or abuse of power. The former head of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, was forcibly removed from office after being beset by bogus accusations. However, the NPP believes it is reasonable that Gertrude Torkornoo, who violated the constitution on a daily basis, sat on cases that favored the NDC, and rendered decisions in favor of the NPP, should not be dismissed from office on the basis of the same article.
Corruption is a global problem in the judicial system, although it is effective and functions better in many countries. However, Ghana’s judiciary was the worst during the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia administrations. Since Akufo-Addo is much concerned about his criminal nature, he appointed the highest number of judges to the Supreme Court, including what seemed to be Gertrude Torkornoo, to be his shield against possible conviction or to appear in court to answer charges against him.
In addition to the public’s outcry for her dismissal, one of the petitions calling for her removal also focused on her embezzlement of more than GHS261,000 in public funds during official and private trips in 2023. According to the accusation, the Chief Justice sponsored her husband, Francis Kofi Torkornoo, and daughter, Miss Edem S.A. Torkornoo, on international travels using state monies. He also said she did not account for $14,000 intended for the same trip and questioned another GHS 75,580 used for a trip to Tanzania.
Akufo-Addo and Bawumia’s previous administrations saw the worst of corruption, which has hampered Ghana’s infrastructure as well as the country’s once-thriving economy, businesses, and investments. However, everyone goes unpunished. The widespread corruption committed by the NPP government rendered many institutions, including the COCOBOD, the ECG, and many others, financially bankrupt. Every crime was committed under the nose of Gertrude Torkornoo. Therefore, what does she want in Mahama’s administration?
Mahama has only been in government for 120 days, yet in this short period, he has accomplished more than Akufo-Addo and Bawumia combined in eight years. The national currency is strengthening as the economy progressively responds to the recovery. If someone like Gertrude Torkornoo becomes the chief justice, it will pose the greatest threat to the country’s progress, judiciary, and democracy because the NPP was unable to accomplish this. They don’t even value Mahama’s beautiful creations.
Ghanaians don’t want any obstacles to the country’s success and progress because it has been reset and is expanding faster than anticipated. Thus, Gertrude Torkornoo must go. Long live Ghana! Long live Mahama!
