President Mahama petitioned to dissolve CJ removal committee over alleged secret meeting with Thaddeus Sory

A former parliamentary aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alfred Ababio Kumi, has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to dissolve the five-member committee tasked with investigating petitions for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.

In his petition, Mr. Kumi—widely known as Adenta Kumi—alleges that the integrity of the committee has been “compromised” due to what he describes as a “serious breach of judicial ethics and conflict of interest” involving some of its members and the legal counsel for one of the petitioners. He warns that continuing with the current composition of the committee could reduce the inquiry to a “sham.”

Citing a specific incident, Kumi claims that on the night of May 15, 2025—immediately following the committee’s first sitting—Justices Gabriel Pwamang and Samuel Adibu-Asiedu were allegedly seen at Santoku Restaurant in Accra dining with Thaddeus Sory, who is the legal representative of one of the petitioners. Justice Yonni Kulendi was also reportedly present at the meeting.

Kumi alleges that details related to the ongoing inquiry were overheard during this gathering, casting serious doubts on the impartiality of the process.

“The meeting between Justices Pwamang, Kulendi, and Asiedu with Thaddeus Sory clearly has destroyed the integrity of the process and reduces public confidence in the process so far,” the petition reads.

He further asserts that Justice Pwamang has a history of ruling in favour of the same petitioner represented by Mr. Sory and alleges that all three justices—Pwamang, Adibu-Asiedu, and Kulendi—had previously shown interest in becoming Chief Justice themselves. According to Kumi, this raises the spectre of potential bias against the current CJ.

Describing the situation as “deplorable,” Kumi insists that to maintain public trust and uphold judicial fairness, President Mahama must dissolve the current committee and reconstitute it with “impartial” members.

The five-member committee was constituted by the presidency on April 22, 2025, to review petitions seeking the removal of Justice Torkornoo from office.

Read the full petition below: