The Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has revealed that several staff within the Judicial Service are ready and willing to testify against suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaba Torkornoo as part of the ongoing impeachment process initiated under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
A private legal practitioner and close ally of President John Dramani Mahama, the NPA boss disclosed that insider cooperation is already underway, indicating that this is not a witch hunt, but a constitutional process supported by credible internal evidence.
“As I speak to you this morning, judicial service workers are lining up to testify. These are not political actors—these are people who have worked with Her Ladyship and are willing to provide testimony in the inquiry,” he stated.
Mr. Edudzi Tamakloe disclosed this while speaking on TV3’s The Key Points on Saturday.
He stressed that the proceedings against Chief Justice Torkornoo are rooted firmly in law and not politically motivated, as some have suggested. He reaffirmed that the framers of the 1992 Constitution anticipated that judicial officers could be subject to misconduct, and provided Article 146 precisely for such situations.
“We have a Constitution for a reason. If there are allegations of stated misbehaviour or misconduct, the process to investigate and remove a Justice is spelt out in Article 146. Following that lawfully cannot, by any stretch, be described as a bad precedent,” he argued.
GBA’s inconsistency
Edudzi Tamakloe lashed out at the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) for what he described as selective concern, noting their silence during previous judicial removals, particularly the controversial ouster of Electoral Commission Chairperson Charlotte Osei during the Akufo-Addo administration.
“Where was the GBA when Charlotte Osei was removed without any substantial evidence of financial wrongdoing? No press conference. No concern about precedent. Now that Article 146 is being used lawfully, suddenly it’s a constitutional crisis? The Bar cannot pick and choose when to uphold the Constitution,” he charged.
He defended President Mahama’s historical use of Article 146 during his first tenure, citing the removal of CHRAJ Commissioner Lauretta Lamptey as an example of lawful and dignified constitutional compliance.
“President Mahama received the petition, passed it to Chief Justice Georgina Wood who made a prima facie determination, and a full inquiry followed, leading to Madam Lamptey’s removal,” he recounted. “Nobody screamed ‘bad precedent’ then.”
He contrasted that with the removal of Charlotte Osei, questioning why no legal body challenged that process when it occurred under the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
While calling for decorum in public discourse surrounding the Chief Justice’s case, Mr. Tamakloe insisted that no one, regardless of position, should be shielded from lawful scrutiny.
“The fact that someone holds the office of Chief Justice doesn’t mean they are immune from the law. It means due process must be followed—and that’s exactly what is happening.”
“Judicial Service staff are cooperating because they believe in truth and accountability. We must allow the process to run its course,” he said.
The NPA boss urged the public and legal institutions to support the lawful process and protect Ghana’s democratic foundations.
“If we say we believe in the rule of law, then we must follow the law—even when it affects the most powerful among us. Let’s not derail the process with emotion or political spin,” he stressed.