Former Presidential Press Secretary and spokesperson to ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has expressed strong reservations about the ongoing attempt to remove Ghana’s Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo, describing it as baseless and a potential threat to the independence of the judiciary.
Speaking in an interview with Joy News on the sidelines of the 2025 Martyrs Day Celebration on Monday, June 30, Agyepong emphasized that the 1992 Constitution sets a high threshold for the removal of the Chief Justice, requiring the commission of a grave offence.
However, he questioned the legitimacy and credibility of the current petitioners, saying, “What surprised me is that they are faceless petitioners. I have heard of something called Shining Star, I am told it is not even registered. I don’t know them, we don’t know them—and then one Daniel Ofori.”
He added that the content of the petition, from what he had heard, did not meet the constitutional requirement of a “grave” offence. “The details don’t convince me that it passes the test of being grave enough to remove the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana. That is my personal view.”
Agyepong further questioned why the petition was allowed to progress beyond the President’s office, asserting that it should not have made it past the initial review.
“He [the President] is the one who can read the petition first and decide whether it is worth moving it to the Council of State,” he said, adding that the issues raised amounted to “very minor infractions.”
Referring to the Chief Justice’s own public response to the matter, Agyepong said the press conference clarified much of the confusion and further underscored the frivolity of the petition. He warned that allowing such actions to continue could set a dangerous precedent.
“If we are not careful, it will constitute a certain assault on the judiciary. It is something that is worrying,” he stated, urging President Akufo-Addo to heed the Ghana Bar Association’s call to dismiss the petition.
“For me, I think that this should not have started in the first place,” Agyepong concluded.
KA
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