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Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has firmly denied allegations of financial misconduct made in a 21-point petition submitted to President John Mahama by a private citizen, Daniel Ofori. In her detailed response, Justice Torkornoo described the accusations as “unfortunate untruths” rooted in a misinterpretation of official Judicial Service policies.
The petition accused the Chief Justice of misappropriating over GHS 261,000 in public funds in 2023 for personal foreign trips with her husband, Francis Kofi Torkornoo, and daughter, Miss Edem S.A. Torkornoo. It also alleged she received an additional GHS 75,580 for a separate trip to Tanzania and failed to properly account for a $14,000 imprest related to that journey.
However, Justice Torkornoo maintained that all her travel arrangements were in strict compliance with Judicial Service policy, which was first implemented in 2010 and revised in 2019. She referenced Paragraph A(9) of the policy, which clearly states: “The Chief Justice shall undertake unlimited official travels with either his/her Spouse or other person of his/her choice in a year, fully funded by the Judicial Service.” She also cited Paragraph A(10), which provides for travel in the same class as the Chief Justice and partial per diem coverage for the accompanying person.
“In view of this option, there was no infraction occasioned when I opted to travel for my two holidays with my spouse on one occasion and my daughter on the second occasion,” she clarified.
Addressing the issue of the alleged unretired imprest, the Chief Justice stated that she had accounted for the funds promptly upon returning from her trip, submitting documentation on September 14, 2023—just two days after resuming official duties. “I spent an amount of $4,411 out of the said imprest and retired the remaining $9,588.20,” she explained, attributing the allegations to a misunderstanding of Judicial Service financial procedures and audit records.
She also addressed the controversy surrounding her trip to Arusha, Tanzania, explaining that a health emergency cut her visit short. “I fell ill from exhaustion when I arrived in Arusha and had to return to Ghana a day early to ensure that I had one full day to journey to Cape Coast for the Ghana Bar Association conference,” she recounted.
Justice Torkornoo further clarified her lack of involvement in financial logistics, saying, “As Chief Justice, I neither purchase travel tickets, nor determine the per diem issued to me… I am not signatory to any account and do not have access to the accounts of the Judicial Service.”
Concluding her response, she argued that the petition lacked substance and was based on a flawed understanding of internal procedures. “It is therefore unfortunate that the Petitioner… should create the wrong presentation of this expenditure,” she stated.
Daniel Ofori’s petition is among several calls for the Chief Justice’s removal under Article 146 of the Constitution—claims she has consistently and firmly refuted.
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