A petition has been filed before President John Dramani Mahama calling for the removal of Justice Daniel Mensah, a judge of the Court of Appeal, over allegations of judicial misconduct and conflict of interest.
The petition, filed by private citizen Rocky Ofori, invokes Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, which provides the legal framework for removing Superior Court judges on grounds of “stated misbehaviour” or demonstrated incompetence.
The allegations centre on claims that Justice Mensah, who also holds the traditional title of Dormaahene, allowed his traditional leadership responsibilities to compromise his obligations as a judicial officer.
Specifically, he is accused of presiding over elections for the Bono Regional House of Chiefs while a related legal matter was pending before the High Court in Kumasi.
The Electoral Commission had declined to supervise the process due to the ongoing litigation, yet the elections proceeded under Justice Mensah’s supervision ¹ ².
The petition further alleges that Justice Mensah participated in the election and administered oaths to the declared winners, constituting a direct conflict of interest. Additionally, he is accused of disregarding a High Court ruling recognizing Nana Samgba Gyafla II as the Paramount Chief of the Sampa Traditional Area, undermining the authority of a coordinate court.
Under Ghana’s Constitution, President Mahama is required to refer the petition to the Chief Justice to determine whether a prima facie case exists for further investigation. The outcome is pending.
