The process to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo from office cannot be influenced by the President, according to former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu.
He clarified that such proceedings are constitutionally independent and protected from executive interference.
Speaking on Channel One’s Newsroom, Osei-Owusu emphasized the paramount importance of safeguarding judicial independence and ensuring that any attempts to remove the Chief Justice are grounded in credible and substantial evidence.
“My position is that the process cannot be influenced by the president, but I will be very much surprised and disappointed if the contents or the grounds as contained in the three petitions I have read of course, I stand to be corrected if those are not the genuine grounds,” he stated.
While acknowledging that social media can be a source for misinformation, Osei-Owusu questioned the credibility of the petitions if their content is accurate.
“Social media is also a source of misinformation, I have read something. If that is truly the content, the basis for which the petitioners are asking that the CJ be removed, I will be very surprised, disappointed, and truly embarrassed if any committee will come to a conclusion that based on such petition, the CJ of Ghana will be removed. That is where the NPP’s concerns come into play,” he added.
Osei-Owusu’s comments come amid a growing public debate over the petitions and their potential implications for the judiciary’s integrity and independence.
The controversy has sparked intense scrutiny, with many stakeholders calling for transparency and accountability in the process.
