General News
Suspended Chief Justice Torkornoo Denies Allegations as ACP Ayamga Accuses Her of Abuse of Office and Unlawful Arrest
Suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo has publicly released the contents of three petitions calling for her removal — one of which contains serious allegations of misconduct, abuse of office, and unlawful arrest lodged by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ayamga Yakubu Akolgo.
In his petition, submitted under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, Section 16 of the Judicial Service Act, and the Code of Conduct for Judges and Magistrates, ACP Akolgo cites 16 counts of alleged misbehavior and incompetence, all tied to an incident that took place during a Supreme Court session on November 14, 2023.
ACP Akolgo claims that after the Chief Justice dismissed his application, she made disparaging remarks about his competence as a senior barrister. When he responded with a respectful, “I disagree,” Justice Torkornoo allegedly ordered his immediate arrest — an action the petitioner describes as illegal, humiliating, and outside the Criminal Procedure Act, 1960 (Act 30).
He further asserts that the arrest was never documented in official records and that a fabricated search report was produced on the Chief Justice’s instruction to cover up the incident, bringing the integrity of the judiciary into question.
In total, the petition accuses Justice Torkornoo of abuse of office, unlawful arrest, concealing the truth from public record, and other actions that allegedly undermine public trust in the judiciary.
In response, Justice Torkornoo, in a public statement on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, dismissed all allegations as “politically motivated, unfounded, and legally misinformed.” She declared, “This is a carefully orchestrated attempt to remove me from office. I will not resign. I will defend my integrity through due process,” and confirmed that she had already provided a full rebuttal with supporting evidence to the President and relevant authorities.