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The suspended Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Gertrude Araba Sackey Torkonoo, has accused the committee chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, which is tasked with investigating the three petitions seeking her removal, of abuse and torture.
According to her, the committee subjected her to treatment that violates her fundamental human rights. These actions included body searches, denial of access to her family during the hearing, and the confiscation of her mobile phones and laptops.
In a supplementary affidavit filed in support of her motion for an injunction to stop the committee’s proceedings, she recounted that these incidents occurred when she appeared before the committee on 23 May.
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She stated:
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That the committee, on the said 23 May 2025, contrary to established rules governing the proceedings of committees or commissions of inquiry, indicated that the petitioners would not testify themselves but would instead call other witnesses to give evidence in support of their petition.
She challenged this decision, asserting:
That this is entirely contrary to known procedural rules regulating the work of such bodies, as the so-called petitioners or complainants, when they formally appear before the committee or commission, are considered mere witnesses whose testimony must be taken under oath and subjected to cross-examination by the person affected by the proceedings.
Justice Torkonoo further alleged that the committee’s conduct amounted to abuse.
She cited the denial of access to the hearing room for her husband and children, invasive body searches, and refusal to allow her and her lawyers access to telephones and laptops, while lawyers for the petitioners were treated differently.
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She also questioned the choice of venue for the hearing, which was held at the Castle, Osu. She described this as part of a deliberate effort to subject her to mental torture and degrading treatment, in violation of her fundamental rights.
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Describing the removal process as a mockery of justice and a ruse to unjustifiably remove her from office as the Chief Justice, Justice Torkonoo has called on the court to intervene and halt the proceedings, which she claims represent a clear assault on judicial independence.
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