Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has alleged that she has received direct threats aimed at pressuring her to resign or retire, as a committee of inquiry continues to investigate petitions seeking her removal from office.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, Justice Torkornoo revealed that unnamed individuals have attempted to coerce her with personal threats, intensifying the already controversial proceedings surrounding her suspension.
“I have also received threats to the effect that if I failed to resign or retire voluntarily, I will be made to suffer some harm or the other,” she stated.
The embattled Chief Justice also strongly criticised the nature of the committee hearings, describing them as adversarial and lacking the neutrality expected of such a constitutional process. According to her, the inquiry is being conducted more like a legal battle in court than an impartial fact-finding mission.
Justice Torkornoo specifically raised concerns about the control being exercised by legal representatives for the petitioners, accusing them of selectively managing the flow of evidence presented to the committee.
“The proceedings are being conducted as if it is a normal litigation between the petitioners and myself,” she said. “Their lawyers now choose and pick which part of the evidence that public officials present to put on the table. This is also in violation of known rules regarding the proceedings of a committee of enquiry.”
Her remarks come as scrutiny mounts over the transparency and fairness of the process triggered under Article 146 of the Constitution, following several petitions accusing her of misconduct. Although a five-member committee was constitutionally constituted to probe the allegations, Torkornoo insists that the integrity of the process is compromised.
Justice Torkornoo, who made history in June 2023 as Ghana’s third female Chief Justice, became the first sitting Chief Justice in the Fourth Republic to be suspended while facing potential removal. Previous attempts to stop the proceedings through legal channels have failed, with the Supreme Court dismissing four separate suits, including one filed by Torkornoo herself.
As the inquiry continues behind closed doors, in line with constitutional provisions, her public appeal raises significant concerns about judicial independence, due process, and the political pressures surrounding high-level constitutional offices.
