Hot SourceThe government has declared it cannot publicly disclose the reasons behind the dramatic ousting of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo. The restriction, it insists, is tied to the black-and-white demands of the 1992 Constitution.
Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, went on record Monday night, stressing that constitutional provisions tie the hands of the presidency. He pointed out that Article 146 bars Jubilee House from broadcasting details of the judicial inquest that sealed the CJ’s fate.
“The committee recommended the removal of the CJ. Because as you are fully aware, Article 146 does not permit disclosure of the proceedings of the committee,” Ofosu told Channel One TV, leaving many wondering what dirt lies behind closed doors.
He confirmed that while the public remains in the dark, Sackey Torkornoo herself has not been left guessing. “But the Chief Justice has been officially informed of her removal and the reasons behind it, in a letter sent through the President’s Secretary. A warrant, as prescribed by Article 146, was also issued,” he stated.
Ofosu stressed that government’s silence is not a question of choice but of law. “The Chief Justice has been fully briefed, but the government is legally barred from revealing the details to the public,” he said, echoing the letter of the Constitution.
The minister went further to underscore the government’s position: “I am not permitted by law to make any disclosures beyond the fact that the President has complied with the recommendations of the committee.”
In defending Jubilee House’s tight-lipped stance, Ofosu hit back at critics who argue the public deserves transparency. “Jubilee House cannot breach the Constitution of Ghana, which bars us from discussing details surrounding this entire proceeding,” he insisted.
Behind the cloak of secrecy lies a petition filed by Daniel Ofori, which triggered a constitutional process. A committee established under Article 146(6) pored over the claims and concluded that allegations of stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1) had indeed been proven.
In line with the committee’s verdict, President John Dramani Mahama—bound by Article 146(9)—signed off on Sackey Torkornoo’s removal on 1 September, executing a decision that now stirs whispers across Ghana’s political and judicial circles.
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