ACCRA, GHANA – Private legal practitioner James Kofi Afedo has submitted a petition to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) requesting the immediate arrest and prosecution of former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey-Torkornoo. The petition alleges that the former Chief Justice caused financial loss to the state through the misapplication of public funds.
According to the petition, filed this week, Justice Sackey-Torkornoo is accused of violating the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921). Specifically, the petition alleges that she used Judicial Service funds to finance her husband’s travel to Tanzania and her daughter’s travel to the United States, including per diem payments for what Mr. Afedo claims were private trips.
The petition comes weeks after President John Dramani Mahama dismissed Justice Sackey-Torkornoo from office on September 1, 2025, following recommendations from a five-member investigative committee.
The committee, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Pwamang, found sufficient grounds for her dismissal under Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution.
Mr. Afedo’s petition is the latest development in the legal challenges facing the former Chief Justice, who has since filed a $10 million lawsuit against Ghana at the ECOWAS Court of Justice and a separate application at the High Court to challenge her removal. Mr. Afedo, in his petition, argues that prosecuting the former Chief Justice would demonstrate Ghana’s commitment to the rule of law and deter public sector corruption.
EOCO has not yet made a public statement regarding the petition, which introduces a new criminal dimension to the ongoing constitutional and administrative proceedings against her.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
