Chief Justice attacks removal process

Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo has launched a blistering critique of the ongoing Article 146 proceedings aimed at her removal from office, likening the treatment of her legal team to that of biblical magicians asked to reveal and interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream he had yet to disclose. The embattled Chief Justice described the removal process as unconstitutional, opaque, and deeply flawed – particularly in its treatment of her legal counsel, whom she said have been forced to operate blindly, reports My Joy Online. ‘Like Nebuchadnezzar’s situation in which he demanded that the magicians in his court should tell him his dream and also interpret it, my lawyers are left to guess which allegations in the petitions are the subject matter of the testimonies being given,’ Torkornoo said. According to her, since the proceedings began on 23 May, her legal team has not been served with the actual petitions submitted to the President or any clear statement of charges, yet they are expected to cross-examine witnesses and mount a defence. The Chief Justice stated that the committee has ‘refused and/or failed’ to give her the foundational documents of the case, including the original petitions, responses she submitted to the President, or the President’s prima facie determination. She said this violates basic tenets of fair hearing. She added that the committee, despite lacking the legal status of a court or a statutory commission, has allowed petitioners to issue subpoenas to public officials and present evidence without ever taking the stand themselves.

Full My Joy Online report