Sophia Akuffo says allegations against Justice Torkornoo's removal weak

Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo

Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has questioned the credibility of the allegations that led to the dismissal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, insisting they were not weighty enough to justify such a drastic action by President John Dramani Mahama.

Madam Akuffo, who also sits on the Council of State, was unsparing in her criticism of the process that culminated in the Chief Justice’s removal. She described it as a “rigmarole,” stressing that no judge — and certainly not the head of the judiciary — deserved such treatment.

In a yet-to-be-aired interview with TV3 on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, she declared: “The [allegations] lack the gravity that will lead to a grave outcome such as the removal of the head of an institution of justice.”

Justice Torkornoo was officially removed from office on Monday, September 1, 2025, after President Mahama acted under Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution.

A statement from the Presidency explained that the decision followed the recommendation of a committee established under Article 146(6) to probe a petition submitted by citizen Daniel Ofori.

The removal took immediate effect.
The statement, signed by Presidential Spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu, stressed that the President was constitutionally bound to implement the committee’s findings.