A private legal practitioner, James Kofi Afedo, has petitioned the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest and prosecute the immediate past Chief Justice of Ghana, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey-Torkornoo, for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.
In his petition, Mr. Afedo accused the former Chief Justice of misapplying public funds during her tenure as head of the Judicial Service. He argued that Justice Torkornoo willfully or negligently diverted resources meant for the state to fund private family trips abroad.
“I write as a concerned citizen of Ghana to humbly petition your highly respected office for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the former Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana for willfully causing financial loss to the state and willfully or negligently misapplying public funds entrusted to her,” portions of the petition read.
According to the lawyer, in 2023, Justice Torkornoo allegedly authorized payments from Judicial Service funds to cover her husband’s travel expenses to Tanzania, including per diem allowances, despite the trip being a private holiday. He further claimed that similar arrangements were made for her daughter’s travel to the United States, also funded by the state, with per diem allowances covering the duration of the trip.
Mr. Afedo insists that such actions were contrary to Section 96(1)(c) and (d) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), which prohibits the misuse of public funds. He is therefore calling on EOCO to take immediate steps to investigate and prosecute the former Chief Justice to ensure accountability.
The petition has sparked fresh debate about the management of public resources by top officials, particularly those entrusted with upholding the highest standards of integrity.
