The Gushegu MP, Hassan Tampuli, has sharply condemned the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo from office by President John Mahama.

He described the grounds for her dismissal as politically driven and “utterly absurd”.

Justice Torkornoo was dismissed on Monday, 1 September 2025, pursuant to Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution.

A statement from the Presidency explained that the decision followed a recommendation by a committee established under Article 146(6) to investigate a petition lodged by a private citizen, Mr Daniel Ofori. The removal took immediate effect.

Speaking on Channel One TV, Mr Tampuli denounced the inclusion of the Chief Justice’s spouse’s foreign travels and per diem entitlements as part of the justification for her removal.

“The fact that a Chief Justice’s spouse travelled with her and earned a per diem has now been added to what constitutes stated misbehaviour. Frankly, this is utterly absurd,” he argued.

He contended that senior state leaders — including the President, Vice-President, Speaker of Parliament and Chief Justice — were entitled to such privileges, questioning why Justice Torkornoo’s case was treated differently.

“If you pay for the spouse of the Chief Justice, the President, the Speaker or the Vice-President to travel on holiday, what is wrong with that? These are people carrying the burden of the state. Why should others be allowed the benefit while she is singled out?”

Mr Tampuli further accused the committee of operating with bias and arbitrariness, claiming it was determined from the outset to secure her removal.

“The committee was set up to do the job it had been instructed to do — to remove the Chief Justice in an oppressive and unjust manner. That, to me, sets a very dangerous precedent,” he warned.