Exclusive: CJ’s response to Senior Police Officer’s petition asking for her removal

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has responded to allegations from Ayamga Akolgo. Akolgo, a senior police officer, accused her of misconduct and abuse of office. He claimed she ordered his arrest during court proceedings for disagreeing with her comments. He argued that he did not commit any crime or contempt of court.

Akolgo described the arrest as capricious and unjustified. He stated it showed misbehavior under Article 146(1) of the Constitution. He also accused Torkornoo of failing to record the incident properly in court records. Additionally, he alleged she supervised false statements in the search report after his arrest.

In her response dated April 7, 2025, Torkornoo denied all claims made by Akolgo. She emphasized that court decisions are collective and not solely hers. “The presiding Judge is not the court,” she wrote regarding the proceedings in question.

Torkornoo expressed regret if Akolgo felt aggrieved but insisted his complaint did not meet legal standards for misconduct. She apologized for any bad experience but maintained there was no evidence of misbehavior or incompetence.

Regarding accusations of falsified records, Torkornoo clarified that manual entries are brief summaries validated by all judges on the panel. She explained that electronically captured records are managed by court recorders, not individual judges.

She cited Article 127(3) of the Constitution, which grants immunity to Justices for actions taken in judicial power. “Neither the Chief Justice nor any Justices may be sanctioned,” she added.

In conclusion, Torkornoo stated that Akolgo’s petition does not establish a prima facie case against her. “The matters presented cannot lead to a finding for removal,” she said. This petition is the third attempt to initiate impeachment proceedings against Ghana’s Chief Justice under Article 146.