President John Dramani Mahama, acting on the advice of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has dismissed a petition seeking the removal of Justice Yonny Kulendi from the Supreme Court.
The decision was communicated in a letter signed by Dr Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, dated December 4, 2025, and addressed to the petitioner, Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta.
“I have the Instructions of His Excellency the President to respond to your petition dated 30 September 2025 on the above matter.
“In accordance with Article 146(3) of the 1992 Constitution, His Excellency the President duly referred the petition to His Lordship, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, Chief Justice, on 20 October 2025, to determine whether the petition discloses a prima facie case,” Dr Mahama’s letter to the petitioner read.
“By a letter dated 2 December 2025, the Chief Justice informed His Excellency the President that no prima facie case had been established by the petition to warrant any further investigation. The Chief Justice’s letter states as follows:
“In the circumstances, the Petitioner’s own evidential material undermines and collapses the factual foundation of the allegations.
“When compared against the sworn testimony of Mr Jakpa, the petition’s claim that Justice Kulendi abused his office to secure bail for his cousin and that he sought to inappropriately influence the outcome of the case, is exposed as a clear distortion of the record and fails to disclose any evidentiary basis upon which a prima facie finding can be properly grounded.
“In conclusion, it is my determination that this petition fails to meet the evidential threshold required to establish a prima facie case under Article 146(3) of the Constitution. Accordingly, I find that no prima facie case has been established against Justice Yonny Kulendi by the Petitioner,” the letter of the Secretary to the President further read.
“In view of the Chief Justice’s determination that the constitutional threshold under Article 146(3) has not been met, no further steps are required in respect of your petition. The matter is therefore concluded,” President Mahama’s letter to Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta concluded.
Background
Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta had petitioned President Mahama on September 30, 2025, seeking the removal of Justice Yonny Kulendi as a Supreme Court judge.
In his petition, Ofori-Atta accused Justice Kulendi of improper interference in proceedings at the High Court in the ongoing ambulance scandal case, Republic v. Cassiel Ato Forson & 2 Others.
According to excerpts of the petition, Ofori-Atta argued that the alleged actions of Justice Kulendi contravened the Code of Conduct for Judges and Magistrates.
He contended that such conduct undermines judicial independence and erodes public trust in the judiciary.
It remains unclear what immediate steps, if any, will follow. Under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, the removal of a Supreme Court Justice must adhere to the strict process outlined in Article 146.
