Gov’t says She Must “Play by the Rules or Face the Music”
The government is pulling no punches with suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Esaaba Torkornoo, declaring emphatically that she’ll receive no special treatment as the legal wheels turn.
In a fiery retort to the CJ’s unprecedented public outcry, Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu slammed down the gauntlet, insisting that the 1992 Constitution will be the sole guide in this high-stakes saga.
Spaking directly from the presidency on Wednesday, June 25, Kwakye Ofosu minced no words, dismantling the CJ’s claims of political witch-hunt.
He asserted that the process Torkornoo faces is standard procedure, precisely what the law demands, and that no public official—not even the Chief Justice—is above the nation’s laws.
“We cannot have a sacred cow mentality in the way that we handle state officers,” Kwakye Ofosu declared, his voice ringing with conviction.
“Every single public official, from the president, to the speaker, to the chief justice, to the Supreme Court justices, to ministers, to all public service holders, are bound by the provisions of Ghanaian laws.”
The minister stressed that President Mahama’s administration is resolute: anyone who accepts public office will face the full force of the law if accused of misconduct.
“It will not matter whose ox is gored or how sensitive the position may be, the constitution will be followed through,” he emphasized, quoting former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: “When you join the game, you play by the rules.”
Kwakye Ofosu vehemently debunked any whispers of political motivation behind the government’s actions, stating unequivocally, “Any claim, any inference, any innuendos, any imputation of political motive to the president in respect of this are unfounded, they are false and cannot be allowed to stand.”
He highlighted that President Mahama is merely fulfilling his oath to uphold the 1992 Constitution, an oath incidentally administered by the very CJ now under scrutiny.
“He had no choice in the matter,” Kwakye Ofosu affirmed.
“The president cannot say that he has a view about how things should be done and therefore if petitions have come he will fail to act. If he did that he himself will be in breach of the Constitution.”
Meanwhile, the suspended CJ Gertrude Esaaba Torkornoo, who has been on ice since April 2025 following the establishment of a prima facie case against her, held a dramatic press conference yesterday.
Accompanied by her husband, Francis Kofi Torkornoo, and their daughter, a defiant Torkornoo launched a broadside against the ongoing probe, labeling it “deeply and fundamentally flawed and illegal.”
She vowed not to resign, asserting that doing so would be tantamount to endorsing what she termed “cruel treatment” and surrendering to an unconstitutional process. “Resigning or retiring is not an option, once the suspension claims and process has begun,” she declared, adding that it would also mean forfeiting her entitlements without a chance to defend herself against “false claims.”
Torkornoo underscored the unprecedented nature of her case, noting that no sitting Chief Justice in Ghana’s 68-year history has ever faced such a removal process.
She warned that the precedent being set poses a grave threat to judicial independence and the nation’s democracy.
“Every step of the removal process being undertaken against me is being done in a manner that breaks every rule on how justice is delivered in the country,” she lamented, explaining her decision to publicly address the nation on the “serious violations of the Constitution and law.”
In a final twist, Torkornoo revealed she has filed an action in the Supreme Court, demanding a public hearing in the interest of accountability and transparency, a request she claims the government has thus far rejected.
By Gifty Boateng