Private citizen petitions EOCO to arrest former Chief Justice Torkornoo for financial loss
By DL news
Published
2 min read
I write as a concerned citizen of Ghana to humbly petition your high and respected office for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the former Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana.
A Ghanaian lawyer, James Kofi Afedo, has lodged a petition with the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), urging the immediate arrest and prosecution of Ghana’s former Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey-Torkornoo, over allegations of financial mismanagement.
In his request, Afedo claimed the ex-Chief Justice mishandled funds belonging to the Judicial Service while occupying the country’s highest judicial office.
“I write as a concerned citizen of Ghana to humbly petition your high and respected office for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the former Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey-Torkornoo, for willfully causing financial loss to the state and willfully or negligently misapplying public funds entrusted to her as the head of the Judicial Service of Ghana,” part of the petition stated.
The lawyer alleged that during her time in office, Justice Torkornoo authorised the use of Judicial Service funds to cover her husband’s travel expenses for a trip to Tanzania in 2023. He further claimed her husband was paid per diem for the duration of what he described as a private holiday.
“That Her Ladyship Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey-Torkornoo, while serving as the Chief Justice and Head of the Judicial Service of Ghana, willfully or negligently misapplied public funds when she used funds belonging to the Judicial Service to pay for her husband’s travel with her to Tanzania in 2023 as well as paying him per diem for the duration of the private holiday trip, contrary to Section 96(1Xc) and (d) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921),” the petition said.
Afedo also pointed to another instance, alleging that the former Chief Justice arranged for her daughter’s travel to the United States, again relying on Judicial Service resources. He said her daughter was also paid per diem throughout the period of the trip.
“That Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey-Torkornoo, while serving as the Chief Justice and Head of the Judicial Service of Ghana, willfully or negligently misapplied public funds when she used funds belonging to the Judicial Service to pay for her daughter’s travel with her to the United States of America, as well as paying her per diem for the entire duration of the private holiday trip,” Afedo explained.
The petition calls on EOCO to open investigations, arrest, and prosecute the former Chief Justice for alleged breaches of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
