Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has firmly rejected allegations of financial misconduct contained in a petition submitted by private citizen Daniel Ofori. The petition accused her of misappropriating over GHS 261,000 in public funds for personal foreign trips with her husband and daughter. However, in a detailed response, the Chief Justice maintained that every aspect of her travel was within the confines of the Judicial Service’s official travel policy.
According to the policy, the Chief Justice is permitted to be accompanied by a spouse or a person of her choice on official or holiday travel, with full funding by the Judicial Service. The policy also allows for travel in the same class and partial per diem coverage for the companion. The Chief Justice cited specific paragraphs of the policy, which has been in place since 2010 and revised in 2019, to support her position.
Regarding the claim of failing to retire a $14,000 imprest for a trip, the Chief Justice provided documentation showing that she returned over $9,500 of the amount, having spent $4,411. She described the allegations as based on a misreading of audit records and Judicial Service accounting procedures. The Chief Justice also clarified that a medical episode forced her to return to Ghana earlier than planned from a trip to Tanzania, necessitating new flight bookings.
The Chief Justice further emphasized that she is not involved in the administration of travel allowances and ticketing, and does not have access to the accounts of the Judicial Service. She asserted that the petition lacks merit and reflects a flawed interpretation of official records and established policy. This petition is one of several attempts seeking her removal under Article 146 of the Constitution, all of which she has firmly rebutted.
CNR:Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
