Mahama Petitioned to Remove Justice From Supreme Court
- President John Mahama has been petitioned to remove Justice Yonny Kulendi after claims against him
- Kulendi is accused of interfering in proceedings at the High Court in a controversial case involving a current minister
- This petition follows the successful appeal to remove Gertrude Torkornoo as a Supreme Court Justice and from the Supreme Court bench
President John Mahama has been petitioned to remove Supreme Court Judge, Justice Yonny Kulendi.
The petition alleges judicial misconduct on the part of Kulendi.
Citi News reported that the petition to the president was filed by one Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta.
Source: Facebook
He accused Kulendi of interfering in proceedings at the High Court in the ambulance case, which involved the current finance minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, among others.
According to excerpts of the letter sighted by Citi News, Ofori-Atta argues that Kulendi contravened provisions of the Code of Conduct for Judges and Magistrates.
He contends that such conduct undermines judicial independence and erodes public trust in the judiciary.
This comes after a citizen petitioned the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department to launch a criminal investigation into Kulendi and National Security official Richard Jakpa.
The underlying case, “Republic V. Cassiel Ato Forson & 2 Others,” involves charges of causing financial loss to the state related to the procurement of 200 ambulances during the first Mahama administration.
Commenting on this development, a lawyer and activist, Timothy Selikem Donkor, said there may be substance to the petition if the claims that Kulendi interfered with a witness are true.
"...if a judge agrees to intervene in a matter before a court, yet that intervention is outside the judicial forum and is done purposely to compromise a witness or interfere with Justice, then that judge acted unlawfully."
This petition follows the saga to remove Gertrude Torkornoo as a Supreme Court Justice and from the Supreme Court bench.
Mahama removed Torkornoo on the recommendation of an investigative committee looking into a petition against her.
Her removal was recommended on the grounds of unlawful expenditure of public funds, the abuse of discretionary power, and the interference in judicial appointments.
Paul Baffoe-Bonnie was subsequently appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
About Yonny Kulendi's move to the Supreme Court
Kulendi was nominated to the Supreme Court on March 17, 2020, by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Kulendi was vetted together with Justice Joy Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu on 12 May 2020.
Following his vetting, Kulendi was approved by parliament on May 20, 2020 and sworn into office on May 26, 2020.
Asaase News noted that he was the first Ghanaian from the Upper West Region to be appointed to serve on Ghana’s highest court of jurisdiction.
Source: UGC
He was appointed to the Supreme Court bench directly from his private legal practice.
Kulendi had founded his own law firm, Kulendi @ Law, where he worked as the firm’s managing partner until his appointment to the Supreme Court bench.
As a lawyer, his areas of expertise included investments, securities, commercial law, criminal law, and litigation.
Torkornoo sues for compensation from the government
YEN.com.gh reported that Torkornoo sued the government for $10 million in compensation as part of the fight against her impeachment.
Torkornoo believes her initial suspension from office violated her rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
She sought a declaration that the suspension violated her rights to a fair hearing.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
