Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Yandoh, has mounted a strong defence of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo in the face of growing calls for her suspension over alleged misuse of travel funds.
Speaking in an interview on Wontumi TV, Yandoh dismissed the petition against the Chief Justice as unfounded, arguing that the allegations, particularly those relating to her travel expenses, lack merit and should not have warranted the establishment of a prima facie case.
According to him, the accusations do not rise to the level of serious misconduct and reflect a troubling pattern of selective scrutiny often applied to certain public officials. “The petition is baseless,” he said firmly, insisting that there is no substantial evidence to support the claims.
Yandoh questioned the fairness of the public discourse, pointing to what he described as blatant double standards.
He cited examples such as Lordina Mahama, wife of former President John Mahama, who he claimed had travelled abroad on state funds to attend football matches, and Sharaf Mahama, the former President’s son, who often joins his father on official trips despite holding no government position.
He went further, drawing parallels with the Speaker of Parliament, whom he alleged travels with an extensive entourage—sometimes including medical personnel—and has previously halted parliamentary proceedings to undergo medical treatment abroad.
For Yandoh, the outcry over the Chief Justice’s $10,000 travel expenses is not just misplaced but also deeply inconsistent, especially considering her high-ranking role as the third most powerful figure in the nation after the President and Vice President.
“It raises serious questions when such a figure is targeted over travel expenses while others in similar or lesser roles operate without the same level of scrutiny,” Yandoh argued.
