Fresh details have emerged on why the committee investigating petitions against former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo recommended her removal from office.

According to a letter sighted by Voice of Buluk and dated September 1, 2025, the committee concluded that the Chief Justice had authorised per diem payments to her husband and daughter during official travels — an action deemed contrary to the legal provisions and policies of the Judicial Service.

The letter, signed by the Secretary to the President, Mr. Calistus Mahama, and addressed to Justice Torkornoo, stated that the committee considered the payments an unlawful expenditure of public funds.

Findings of the Committee

“In the opinion of the committee, the travel expenses which the Chief Justice heaped on the Judicial Service when she travelled on holidays in September 2023, first to Tanzania with her husband and second to the United States with her daughter, together with the payment of per diem to her husband and daughter of the Chief Justice, constitute unlawful expenditure of public funds. It cannot be justified in law or policy,” the letter noted.

The committee further stressed that such actions amounted to reckless dissipation of public funds, especially considering that they were sanctioned by the overall head of the Judiciary and Judicial Service, whose role is to safeguard state resources.

“These acts fall within the spectrum of stated misbehaviour,” the committee declared.

Conclusion

The removal of Chief Justice Torkornoo has sparked widespread debate on judicial accountability and independence in Ghana. While some observers argue that the ruling reinforces the principle of financial probity, others believe it highlights the need for clearer frameworks on judicial conduct and the handling of public resources.