No aspect of CJ removal process can be made public – Nii Kpakpo Samoa

Private legal practitioner Nii Kpakpo Samoa stated that the proceedings to remove suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo cannot be made public. He made these comments in response to Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame's remarks.

Dame opposes the in-camera nature of the hearings. He represents Chief Justice Torkornoo and believes the hearings should be public. Dame noted that she has already faced intense scrutiny and reputational harm.

“It cannot be a secret,” he told Citi News on May 22. “There ought to be light on the proceedings because she has already been damaged.” He emphasized that transparency is crucial for fairness, given the political interest in the case.

During a panel discussion on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Kpakpo Samoa disagreed with Dame. He said the Supreme Court has provided a clear interpretation on this matter. “The interpretation as it stands now from the Supreme Court is that in-camera is in-camera,” he explained.

Samoa added that this ruling protects both the subject of investigation and process integrity. He raised a question about personal rights versus constitutional provisions if someone wants to make it public.

However, he maintained that unless the Supreme Court changes its position, confidentiality must remain. “If you try to injunct the process, you are seeking to subvert the Constitution,” he concluded.