In a strongly worded open letter, Ghana’s former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has raised ethical concerns over the actions of immediate past Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, amid the ongoing legal and political storm surrounding the potential removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Amidu acknowledged that Dame, having left office on January 6, 2025, is legally free to represent any client in his private legal capacity.
However, he questioned the prudence of Dame’s involvement in a politically sensitive case so soon after his tenure.
“Every previous Attorney-General worth the name knows that public perceptions and opinions are particularly key factors to consider immediately upon leaving office into private life,” Amidu wrote.
Drawing on his own experience, Amidu recalled turning down a request to represent the late Professor Kofi Awoonor in a criminal trial in 2001.
Despite his personal ties to the case, Amidu declined the offer due to the political optics surrounding his recent role as Deputy Attorney-General and his status as a former vice-presidential candidate for the NDC.
“I did not think doing so… would serve his best interest and the Government we both served,” he explained.
Amidu contrasted his restraint with Dame’s decision to represent Vincent Ekow Assafuah, NPP Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, in a legal challenge to President Mahama’s handling of petitions seeking to remove the Chief Justice.
While Amidu acknowledged that Dame is not representing the Chief Justice directly, he questioned the public perception of such a move given Dame’s deep involvement in her original nomination.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo herself stepped into the public fray on March 27, 2025, when she formally requested from the President and the Council of State access to the petitions against her, as well as a seven-day window to respond before any formal inquiry is launched.
“I am by this letter humbly and respectfully asking… to forward the petitions against me to me, and allow me at least seven days… to provide my response,” her letter stated, according to a Joy FM report.
However, Amidu believes the Chief Justice erred in strategy by publicizing her request and copying several influential bodies and individuals, including former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo and the Ghana Bar Association.
“I thought she had shot herself in the foot both strategically and tactically,” Amidu said, arguing that discretion could have yielded greater public sympathy or procedural advantage.
The matter took a decisive legal turn on May 21, 2025, when the Supreme Court dismissed two high-profile cases filed against the process: one by the Centre for Citizenship, Constitutional and Electoral Systems (CenCES), and another by Theodore Kofi Atta-Quartey. Both actions sought to challenge the constitutionality of the impeachment procedures against the Chief Justice.
