The Chairman of the Article 146 Committee of Inquiry, Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, has officially presented the panel’s first report on petitions seeking the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to President John Mahama.
At a brief ceremony at the Jubilee House, Justice Pwamang recalled that in March 2025, three separate petitions were submitted under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, requesting the Chief Justice’s removal. The President subsequently referred the petitions to the Committee for consideration in line with constitutional provisions.
The Committee, inaugurated on May 15, 2025, conducted its proceedings in camera as required by law. It heard testimony from the first petitioner, Daniel Ofori, and 13 witnesses, while the Chief Justice mounted her defence with testimony of her own and called 12 additional witnesses, including expert witnesses.
Both parties were represented by four lawyers each, and nearly 10,000 pages of documentary evidence were filed before the panel.
Justice Pwamang stressed that the Committee’s work was guided by fairness and impartiality, explaining that after “critical and dispassionate assessment” of the evidence, a recommendation was reached on the first petition. That recommendation has now been submitted in a sealed report to President Mahama.
Meanwhile, the second petitioner and the Chief Justice jointly requested an adjournment of hearings on the second petition. The panel granted the request, assuring that reports on the second and third petitions will be presented in due course.
The Chairman emphasized that although the hearings were held in camera, the process was not in secret, highlighting the Committee’s commitment to transparency within the constitutional framework.
