A Ghanaian citizen, Alfred Ababio Kumi, has submitted a petition to President John Dramani Mahama, urging the immediate dissolution of the five-member committee tasked with investigating petitions to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
Kumi’s petition accuses committee members of serious breaches of judicial ethics, which he claims undermine the integrity of the ongoing inquiry.
The petition, submitted shortly after the committee’s first meeting on May 15, 2025, highlights concerns over a potentially compromising meeting between committee members—Justices Gabriel Pwamang and Samuel Adibu-Asiedu—and Thaddeus Sory, the lawyer representing one of the petitioners.
According to Kumi, the meeting took place on the evening of May 15 at Santoku Restaurant in Accra’s Airport Residential Area, with Supreme Court Justice Yonni Kulendi also in attendance. The group was allegedly overheard discussing details of the petition, an action Kumi argues constitutes a conflict of interest and violates judicial ethics.
Kumi claims that Justices Pwamang and Kulendi have previously shown interest in becoming Chief Justice and were reportedly disappointed when President Akufo-Addo appointed Torkornoo instead. He also asserts that Justice Pwamang had previously ruled in favor of the petitioner represented by Sory, while Chief Justice Torkornoo had taken opposing views in related matters.
In his petition, Kumi condemns the conduct of the judges as “deplorable” and calls it a serious compromise to their ability to fairly adjudicate the ongoing petitions. He urges President Mahama to take swift action to protect the credibility of the process and maintain public trust in the justice system.
The five-member committee, appointed by the presidency on April 22, 2025, is set to investigate three petitions seeking the removal of the Chief Justice. The committee’s composition includes:
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Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang – Supreme Court Judge
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Justice Samuel Adibu-Asiedu – Supreme Court Judge
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Daniel Yao Domelovo – Former Auditor-General
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Major Flora Bazwaanura Dalugo – Member of the Ghana Armed Forces
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Professor James Sefah Dzisah – Professor, University of Ghana
As of now, the Office of the President has yet to respond to the petition.
