Those who argued about Torkornoo traveling with her husband were all 'stupid' — Sam Okudzeto

Former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Sam Okudzeto, has launched a strong defence of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, dismissing criticisms over her decision to travel with her husband while serving in office.

The respected legal luminary described such arrangements as “safety valves” meant to protect high-ranking officials from moral pitfalls or undue influences that could compromise their integrity.

Speaking at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Policy Dialogue Series on Ghana's Natural Resource Management, he condemned what he called the politicisation of the issue, urging Ghanaians to focus on strengthening ethical governance instead of dwelling on personal matters that divert attention from the real challenges of institutional performance.

“When the confusion arose about the Chief Justice going with her husband, that they were making for, I said, 'You are all stupid, because you don’t seem to understand it, that that’s a safety valve. To make sure that she’s not alone,'” Okudzeto said.

He explained that such practices are common in reputable international institutions. “I have served on the Rotary International Board, the highest level, and as a trustee, I was actually the vice chair of all the trustees of the Rotary Foundation. It's part of the rule. You go with your spouse. You go with your spouse, there's no temptation. You don't go, and then you come and find a woman in your bed, or a man in your bed. That is to prevent it. So that safety valve was put there to protect the Chief Justice. And you are making a point… you don’t understand it. So please, let’s just look at the issue of our country,” he stated.

His comments follow a wave of public debate surrounding allegations made by petitioner Daniel Ofori, who accused the former Chief Justice of financial impropriety during her official travels.

Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has since dismissed those claims as baseless and misleading. Addressing the press on Wednesday, June 25, she clarified that all her travels were in accordance with her entitlements as Chief Justice and followed proper financial procedures.

She explained that she travelled with her husband on one occasion and with her daughter on another, both recognised as official vacations under her conditions of service.

Justice Torkornoo further rejected claims that her accompanying family members were wrongfully paid per diem, stressing that the Judicial Service’s travel policy explicitly permits such allowances for persons accompanying the Chief Justice on official assignments.