Managing Editor of The Herald Newspaper, Larry Dogbey, has dismissed claims that President John Dramani Mahama orchestrated the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, insisting that if there is any politicisation of the process, it is the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that must be held responsible.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, Mr. Dogbey stressed that the removal process was grounded in constitutional procedure and not partisan manipulation.
“I take my argument from the point that the whole process has nothing to do with politics. If there is any politicisation, as it appears to be happening, it is the NPP that has painted this thing as partisan politics. It is the Chief Justice herself who has brought this to herself,” he said.
Mr. Dogbey explained that the petition, which triggered the process, was filed by Daniel Ofori, a businessman and owner of White Chapel in Accra, who employs about 5,000 staff. Ofori, he noted, had previously taken legal action against Justice Torkonoo, accusing her of bias.
“Judges later sat down to say that indeed his lawyers were able to establish bias, and so CJ Torkonoo could not sit on any case involving Daniel Ofori. So she was plucked out of that case. Daniel Ofori is not NDC, not CPP, and is not known to belong to any political party.
“He is very well-known in the investment space and in the courts because he files a number of cases there. So how he suddenly became an NDC person who plotted with John Mahama to remove the CJ, I do not understand,” Mr. Dogbey argued.
He further pointed to recent political reactions from the NPP as evidence of where partisan influence originated.
“If there is any partisan thing that is happening, it is the NPP, which went to demonstrate. It is the NPP’s MP, Vincent Assafuah, who filed a case in court. Then John Darko held a press conference at night to say he had heard there were plans to remove the CJ from office. So, where is the politicisation coming from?” he questioned.
Source: CitiNewsroom
