A private citizen, Alfred Ababio Kumi, has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to dissolve the committee constituted to investigate petitions against the suspended Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, citing alleged misconduct and bias on the part of some committee members.
In a three-page petition dated May 19, 2025, and received at the Jubilee House, Mr. Kumi expressed grave concern over what he described as a compromised and discredited committee process. The petition follows a press conference held earlier by the presidency announcing the commencement of hearings by the five-member committee established under Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution.
According to the petitioner, on the evening of May 15, 2025 – a day before the committee’s first sitting – three members of the committee, Justices Gabriel Pwamang, Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, and Justice Yonny Kulendi, were allegedly seen dining with Thaddeus Sory, counsel for one of the petitioners against the Chief Justice, at the Santoku Restaurant in Accra.
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Mr. Kumi noted that the judges were overheard discussing matters relating to the petitions, which he described as unethical, inappropriate, and a violation of the principles of fairness and judicial neutrality.
“The record of the presence of the four – Justices Pwamang, Kulendi, Adibu-Asiedu, and Thaddeus Sory – at the restaurant and the meeting they had can easily be verified and confirmed,” the petition read.
He further alleged that Justices Pwamang and Adibu-Asiedu have a long-standing interest in the appointment of a new Chief Justice and could be biased in matters involving Justice Torkornoo. The petitioner cited previous judgments and alleged lobbying efforts by the said judges as evidence of possible conflict of interest.
Kumi argued that the conduct of the committee members undermines public confidence and compromises the integrity of the inquiry process under Article 146 of the Constitution.
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Describing the situation as “deplorable and most unbecoming of Justices occupying the highest court of Ghana,” the petitioner called for the immediate dissolution of the committee to safeguard the credibility of the proceedings and protect the image of the judiciary.
“Their conduct… clearly brings the administration of justice in the three petitions into disrepute and compromises their ability to discharge their duties to the Republic,” the petition concluded.
As of press time, there has been no official response from the Presidency regarding the petition.
