The controversy surrounding the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has taken a new turn, with a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team, Abraham Amaliba, revealing that the former Chief Justice had attempted to negotiate her retirement with full entitlements before her dismissal.
According to Mr. Amaliba, this effort was thwarted when she unexpectedly took her case to court.
Speaking on TV3’s KeyPoints programme on September 6, Mr. Amaliba stated, “I can tell you on authority that Gertrude Torkornoo worked through some two eminent persons in this country.
They came to plead that she should be allowed to retire with all her entitlements.”
Amaliba’s comments came in response to a suggestion from fellow panel member Mr. Ansa-Asare, who argued on “humanitarian grounds” that Torkornoo should have been allowed to retire gracefully.
Mr. Ansa-Asare stated, “She has worked for 21 years, it would have been good for the President to have given her the opportunity to retire.”
However, Mr. Amaliba countered that Torkornoo herself had scuttled the initiative she began by subsequently filing a court action to fight her removal process.
He recalled, “Somehow, when the discussion was ongoing, she went to court to fight her removal process.”
This move, he suggested, ended any potential for a negotiated retirement package.
The discussion follows President John Dramani Mahama’s decision on September 1, 2025, to remove Chief Justice Torkornoo from office.
The President’s action was based on the recommendation of a five-member committee established under Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution to investigate a petition filed by businessman Daniel Ofori.
In a related development, legal practitioner Martin Luther Kpebu stated that the removal of the Chief Justice on grounds of “stated misbehaviour” means she automatically forfeits all her entitlements.
According to Kpebu, the dismissal is a direct consequence of her being found liable for breaching certain rules while in office.
The committee that investigated the petition was chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang.
Other members included former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo, Major Flora Bazaanura Dalugo of the Ghana Armed Forces, and Associate Professor James Sefah Dzisah from the University of Ghana.
The committee’s report concluded that the grounds of “stated misbehaviour” under Article 146(1) had been established, leading to President Mahama’s constitutional obligation to act under Article 146(9).
A statement signed by Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu confirmed the Chief Justice’s immediate removal, highlighting that the decision was a constitutional imperative based on the committee’s findings. The contrasting accounts regarding Torkornoo’s attempted retirement and the legal implications of her removal have added a new layer of complexity to an already high-profile case.
Source: myjoyonline
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