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Ted News Ghana Blog of Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Source: TEDDY VAVA GAWUGA
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant, Kwabena Agyepong, has sharply criticised President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to suspend Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo, describing it as unjustified and potentially driven by political motives.
The suspension, announced on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, followed the establishment of a prima facie case in response to petitions filed by private citizen Daniel Ofori, senior police officer Ayamga Akolgo, and the civic group Shining Stars of Ghana. Acting under Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution, the President—after consulting the Council of State—appointed a five-member committee to investigate the allegations.
The move has triggered public backlash, with the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) demanding an immediate reversal of the suspension, citing constitutional breaches and a lack of transparency.
In an interview on Channel One TV’s Face to Face with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Agyepong described the President’s action as hasty and lacking sufficient cause.
“I think it is very unfortunate. The very idea of removing the Chief Justice is not something that should be taken lightly. Unless there’s something seriously wrong—and so far, I haven’t seen any such evidence—it should not have happened,” Agyepong argued.
He further questioned the timing of the decision and suggested that the move may have been politically orchestrated, recalling similar sentiments expressed during the 2024 campaign.
“They started mentioning this during the campaign when he [Mahama] addressed NDC lawyers. It presupposes that this was premeditated and prejudged,” he said. “This is unnecessary opprobrium the President has brought upon himself. Unless she [the Chief Justice] has done something truly grave, which hasn’t been shown, this decision is completely unjustified.”
Agyepong warned that such actions could erode public trust in the judiciary and the integrity of Ghana’s democratic institutions.
