A Ghanaian citizen, James Kofi Afedo, has formally petitioned the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest and prosecute former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey-Torkornoo over alleged misuse of public funds and causing financial loss to the state.
The petition, submitted on September 23, 2025, accuses Sackey-Torkornoo of authorizing the use of Judicial Service funds to cover travel and per diem expenses for her husband and daughter during private trips abroad.
Afedo claims these actions violated the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), and the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
He referenced a constitutional committee report, set up by President John Dramani Mahama, which concluded that Sackey-Torkornoo’s conduct involved “unlawful expenditure of public funds” and described the payments as “avoidable and reckless dissipation of public funds.”
This report was central to her recent dismissal as Chief Justice.
Afedo urged EOCO to secure the full committee report and take decisive action to hold the former Chief Justice accountable for what he termed a “reckless misuse of public resources.”
The petition highlights broader concerns about accountability in the judiciary and calls for swift enforcement of the law to restore public trust.
