Full text of petitions against CJ and her responses

Petition by Daniel Ofori

Daniel Ofori filed a petition with several allegations against the Chief Justice.

First, he claims she misappropriated GHS 261,890.00 of public funds in 2023. This money was allegedly used for her private foreign travel with her husband and daughter. He states they were not entitled to travel or allowances from Judicial Service funds.

Second, Ofori alleges she misappropriated GHS 75,580.00 for Ethiopian Airlines tickets during a vacation to Arusha, Tanzania.

Third, he claims she obtained $14,000.00 from the Judicial Service for travel expenses but did not retire the amount.

Ofori's petition includes 18 other allegations.

Chief Justice's Response

The Chief Justice responded to the first three accusations made by Ofori. She stated that the allegations are untrue and provided evidence to support her position.

She referenced the "Policy on Foreign Travels" which allows two holidays per year for the Chief Justice. The policy covers travel expenses, hotel accommodation, and per diem for up to 14 days per trip.

It also states that the Chief Justice can undertake unlimited official travels with a spouse or another person at Judicial Service expense. If accompanied by someone else, they must travel in the same class as the Chief Justice and receive half of her per diem.

This policy has been in place since 2010 and amended in 2019. The Judicial Secretary clarified expenditures related to tickets purchased for her family during her holidays in September 2023.

The Chief Justice explained there was no infraction when she traveled with her spouse or daughter during these holidays.

Ayamga Akolgo’s Petition

Senior police officer Ayamga Akolgo submitted a third petition seeking judicial accountability. He emphasized that all judges are equal before the law and accountable for their actions.

He claimed he was arrested without justification after disagreeing with demeaning comments made by the Chief Justice. He stated this arrest violated his rights and caused him trauma and humiliation.

Akolgo accused her of failing to record court occurrences properly and approving false statements in reports intended to obstruct justice.

He argued these actions constituted misbehavior under Article 146 (1) of the Constitution.

Chief Justice's Response to Akolgo

In response, the Chief Justice apologized if anyone had a bad experience while she presided over cases. However, she asserted that Akolgo's petition does not demonstrate any grounds for removal under the Constitution.

She explained that Supreme Court proceedings involve multiple justices working together rather than decisions made solely by one judge. Directions given during court sessions reflect collective decisions of all justices present.

Article 127 protects judges from liability for actions taken while exercising judicial power.