Trouble continues to pile up for former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, who was recently booted from office for “stated misbehavior.” Now, a concerned citizen and lawyer, James Kofi Afedo, has petitioned the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to go after her for willfully causing financial loss and misapplication of public funds.
Afedo’s petition, dated September 17, is addressed to EOCO’s Executive Secretary, Raymond Archer. The lawyer’s argument is based on the same findings that led to Torkornoo’s removal: a report from a five-member committee that investigated three separate petitions filed against her.
The petition highlights two specific instances where Torkornoo allegedly misused her office. The first involves a trip to Tanzania with her husband, Kofi Torkornoo. The second is a trip to the United States with her daughter, Edem S.A. Torkornoo.
According to the petition, Torkornoo used Judicial Service funds to pay for her family members’ travel expenses, including their tickets and per diems. This is a clear violation of the Condition of Service for Article 71 office holders, which requires them to travel with their security detail, not family.
The Allegations
Afedo’s petition lays out the case against the former CJ in no uncertain terms. He claims she “willfully or negligently misapplied public funds” by using Judicial Service money to pay for her husband’s trip to Tanzania and her daughter’s trip to the U.S. and that she also paid them per diems for these “private holiday trips.”
An Auditor General’s report cited in a separate petition to the president even revealed that Torkornoo’s daughter was upgraded to a higher class than the former CJ on her flight to the U.S. All in all, reports indicate that a staggering GH₵260,000 was spent on business class tickets alone, in addition to dollar-denominated per diems.
Afedo argues that Torkornoo’s actions “willfully caused financial loss to the state,” as she was fully aware that her husband and daughter were not Judicial Service staff and, therefore, were not entitled to such privileges.
The Backstory
Justice Torkornoo’s removal was announced on Monday, September 1, 2025, in a press statement from Dr. Callistus Mahama, the Executive Secretary to the President. The move was based on the recommendations of a committee chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel-Sot Pwamang.
A Ghanaian citizen, Daniel Ofori, had initially petitioned the President to remove Justice Torkornoo on grounds of “stated misbehaviour.” After a four-month hearing, the committee concluded that the grounds for misbehavior were established and recommended her removal.
In accordance with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution, the President is bound to follow the committee’s recommendations.
Justice Torkornoo, who was appointed Chief Justice in 2023, is the first head of the judiciary in the Fourth Republic to be removed under this constitutional provision. She had taken over from Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, who retired in May 2023.
Interestingly, this latest development comes as the former CJ has already taken her fight to an Accra High Court, challenging her removal as a judge of the apex court. The Attorney General has since filed a response opposing her position.