A high-stakes constitutional inquiry into Ghana’s Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, has been thrown into controversy following allegations of judicial misconduct and potential bias against members of the investigating committee.
Alfred Ababio Kumi, a concerned Ghanaian citizen, has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama, calling for the immediate dissolution of the five-member committee set up to probe petitions seeking the removal of the Chief Justice.
At the heart of Mr. Kumi’s petition are damning claims that compromise the judicial impartiality of the panel. He alleges that two committee members—Justices Gabriel Pwamang and Samuel Adibu-Asiedu—were involved in a private meeting with Thaddeus Sory, counsel for one of the petitioners, just hours after the committee’s inaugural sitting on May 15, 2025.
The alleged meeting, said to have taken place at Santoku Restaurant in Accra’s plush Airport Residential Area, was also reportedly attended by Justice Yonni Kulendi of the Supreme Court. Mr. Kumi insists the discussion involved issues directly related to the ongoing petition—an act he decried as a serious breach of judicial ethics and due process.
“The integrity of the entire inquiry is now under serious question,” Mr. Kumi stated in his petition. “Such conduct undermines public confidence and creates a clear perception of bias and conflict of interest.”
Kumi further raised red flags about the past professional connections between the justices and the petitioners, suggesting that Justice Pwamang had previously ruled in favour of the petitioner represented by Mr. Sory, while Chief Justice Torkornoo had dissented in related matters. He also alleged that Justices Kulendi, Pwamang, and Adibu-Asiedu had personal ambitions for the Chief Justice role and may be acting out of resentment over President Akufo-Addo’s decision to appoint Justice Torkornoo.
“These historical rivalries and ambitions should disqualify the said justices from sitting on a matter involving the very office they once coveted,” the petition stated.
The five-member committee—appointed by the presidency under Article 146(6) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution—is composed of high-profile figures, including:
Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang – Supreme Court Judge
Justice Samuel Adibu-Asiedu – Supreme Court Judge
Daniel Yao Domelovo – Former Auditor-General
Major Flora Bazwaanura Dalugo – Ghana Armed Forces
Prof. James Sefah Dzisah – University of Ghana
The inquiry was launched to investigate three separate petitions seeking the removal of Chief Justice Torkornoo. However, with this new development, critics fear the process risks becoming a “constitutional farce” if perceived conflicts of interest are not addressed.
Mr. Kumi is urging President Mahama to act decisively, warning that failure to restore the process’s credibility could further erode trust in Ghana’s judicial and democratic institutions.
As of now, the Presidency has not issued an official response to the petition.
