Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has officially petitioned the Supreme Court to disqualify two of its justices—Gabriel Scott Pwamang and Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu—from participating in proceedings concerning her possible removal from office.

The motion, submitted on her behalf by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, argues that the two justices should be barred due to their alleged involvement in an inappropriate meeting with a lawyer representing one of the petitioners in the ongoing inquiry.

Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo

Justice Torkornoo’s petition names Justices Pwamang and Asiedu, along with former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo, Major Flora Bazwaanura Dalugo, and Professor James Sefah Dzisah, as defendants or respondents in the case.

She is requesting that the Supreme Court issue an order restraining the committee—comprising the second to sixth respondents—from continuing with any proceedings connected to the inquiry into the three petitions filed against her.

Her suspension, announced by President John Mahama under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, followed the establishment of a prima facie case by the Council of State. The suspension remains in place pending the outcome of the inquiry.

This legal action marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing controversy, as Justice Torkornoo raises serious concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the process. She is particularly alarmed by the involvement of justices who allegedly held private meetings with a petitioner’s lawyer.

Background to the Controversy

Alfred Ababio Kumi, a concerned citizen, has also submitted a petition to the President, urging the immediate dissolution of the five-member committee investigating the Chief Justice. His petition is based on what he describes as a compromising and inappropriate encounter between members of the judiciary and legal counsel.

Kumi claims that on the night of Thursday, May 15, 2025—the same day the committee held its inaugural session—Justices Gabriel Pwamang, Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, and Yonny Kulendi were seen at Santoku Restaurant in Accra’s Airport Residential Area between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., dining with Mr. Thaddeus Sory, who is counsel for one of the petitioners.

According to Kumi, the meeting “excited the curiosity of some persons in the restaurant,” who reportedly overheard discussions related to the case. “The strange meeting of the four persons who are keenly interested in and have played, and indeed continue to play, critical roles initiated in the processes for the removal of the Chief Justice excited the curiosity of some persons in the restaurant. Indeed, they were overheard discussing matters relating to the petition,” the petition stated.

He insists the incident can be easily confirmed, writing: “Respectfully, the record of the four – Justices Pwamang, Kulendi [and] Asiedu and lawyer Thaddeus Sory’s – presence at the restaurant and meeting can easily be verified and confirmed.”

Kumi describes the situation as a serious threat to the legitimacy of the process, stating, “The above development is of grave worry as proceedings for the removal of the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana are a solemn process and should not lend itself to manipulation by any person or authority. The meeting between Justices Pwamang, Kulendi, and Asiedu with Thaddeus Sory clearly has destroyed the integrity of the process and reduced public confidence in the process so far.”

He continues by emphasizing the conflict of interest: “Both Justices Asiedu and Pwamang are panel members set up to inquire into the petition. They have no business meeting with counsel for one of the petitioners outside working hours at an unofficial place – a restaurant, to have a discussion.”

Kumi further pointed out a past judgment as part of the concern: “This is more serious when the record shows that Justice Pwamang gave judgments in favour of the same petitioner, Daniel Ofori, represented by the same counsel, Thaddeus Sory, in the Supreme Court.”

Describing the justices’ alleged actions as unethical, he concluded: “Their conduct is deplorable and the most unbecoming of justices occupying the highest court in Ghana. It has the tendency to show that the whole process, quite unfortunately, is a sham. In the interest of preserving the integrity of the process, I hereby petition you for an immediate dissolution of the committee, as its ability to dispense justice is clearly compromised.”

This unfolding episode underscores growing concerns about transparency and fairness at the highest levels of the judiciary, with the integrity of the removal process now under intense public scrutiny.Soirce:Dailymailgh.com