Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has strongly defended the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, arguing that her continued presence in office during an active probe could interfere with justice.
He revealed that some staff of the Judicial Service are currently testifying in the proceedings, making it inappropriate for the Chief Justice to remain in post while the investigation unfolds.
“Judicial Service staff are serving as witnesses in the probe against her,” he stated during an appearance on The KeyPoints programme on Saturday, July 5.
Tameklo’s comments come in response to recent calls by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) for the immediate lifting of the Chief Justice’s suspension.
Speaking at the Martyrs Day commemoration on June 30, 2025, GBA President Afua Ghartey described the suspension as a bad precedent that undermines the independence of the judiciary.
But Tameklo disagreed sharply, asserting that allowing the Chief Justice to stay in office under such conditions would compromise the credibility of the process. “Imagine what will happen if the Chief Justice was still in office. It will amount to suppression of evidence,” he argued.
The Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, was suspended by President John Mahama on April 22, 2025, after a prima facie case was established in respect of three petitions against her. A five-member committee was subsequently formed to inquire into the matter.
The committee is chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Pwamang and includes Justice Adibu-Asiedu, former Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo, Major Flora Dalugo of the Ghana Armed Forces, and Professor James Dzisah of the University of Ghana.
