The ongoing probe into suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo has sparked intense debate, with questions of impartiality taking center stage. As the committee investigates the matter, Kwaku Ansa-Asare, former Director of the Ghana School of Law, has weighed in, dismissing claims that the probe is tainted by bias. His assessment hinges on recently emerged CCTV footage that allegedly captures interactions between committee members and a lawyer connected to the case. Ansa-Asare argues that the footage provides no substantive evidence to support allegations of impropriety, adding weight to the argument against halting the CJ Torkonoo probe.

According to Ansa-Asare, calls to dissolve the investigative committee are premature and lack a solid foundation. He stated, “asking the president to dissolve the committee probing the petition merely because of a 20-second encounter at a restaurant where the people had converged to celebrate their colleague’s birthday, I think it should be dismissed.” His comments offer a counter-narrative to the concerns raised by some regarding the integrity of the proceedings.

The CJ Torkonoo probe arose following an application by the Chief Justice for an interlocutory injunction aimed at halting the investigation. Prior to this, private citizens had expressed worries about potential bias within the committee, pointing to alleged engagements between its members and Thaddeus Sory, a lawyer believed to be connected to the case. The six-member committee, tasked with investigating the allegations, has become the focal point of scrutiny. Further complicating matters, the Chief Justice had specifically requested that Justices Pwamang and Adibu-Asiedu be excluded from the committee due to these concerns.

The crux of the bias allegations centers on claims that Thaddeus Sory met with members of the committee, including Justices, at a restaurant on the very day the in-camera hearing commenced. The emergence of CCTV footage from the restaurant has added a new layer to the controversy. According to Ansa-Asare’s review of this footage, the encounter was fleeting, lasting only “didn’t last more than 20 seconds.” He observed that Thaddeus Sory was already present at the restaurant when the justices arrived, suggesting a lack of pre-arranged meeting.

Furthermore, Ansa-Asare noted that Justice Pwamang was not visible in the video. “Thaddeus Sory was already seated there [in the restaurant] before the three others joined. Pwamang was not sighted (in the video) and therefore, conclusively, he might not have been one of the three justices that the Chief Justice has named,” he stated, casting doubt on the accuracy of the allegations against Pwamang. The nature of the conversation, if any, remains unclear based solely on the available footage.

Based on his analysis of the CCTV footage, Ansa-Asare argues that there are no legitimate grounds to support the claims of bias. He deems the allegation against Justice Pwamang as particularly weak. “If we take Pwamang, he wasn’t there, and so it means that allegation is frivolous and can be dismissed without calling on Pwamang to answer at all,” Ansa-Asare asserted. Regarding Justice Asiedu’s presence at the restaurant, Ansa-Asare maintains that the briefness of the encounter makes it unlikely that substantive discussions about the petition took place. “Justice Asiedu was there, but we have all seen that the conversation was not about the ongoing petition. What can four or so people, you know, talk about in 20 seconds?” he questioned. He emphasized that the issue hinges on the specific facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged meeting.

Ultimately, Ansa-Asare concludes that dissolving the committee investigating the CJ Torkonoo probe based on this brief restaurant encounter would be an overreaction. Reiterating his initial stance, he stated, “asking the president to dissolve the committee probing the petition merely because of a 20-second encounter at a restaurant where the people had converged to celebrate their colleague’s birthday, I think it should be dismissed.” Ansa-Asare suggests that President Mahama faces far more pressing matters demanding his attention. In essence, Ansa-Asare’s argument boils down to this: the available evidence, particularly the CCTV footage, does not substantiate the claims of bias and therefore does not warrant the dissolution of the investigative committee.