Abraham Amaliba, Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority, has revealed that former Chief Justice Esaaba Torkornoo engaged with the presidency to retire from service in order to protect her end-of-service benefits.

According to Amaliba, a private legal practitioner and founder of the National Democratic Congress’s legal team, Torkornoo officially appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to allow her to retire honourably or step aside so she would not lose her benefits.

He said she made this request through two prominent individuals whose names he chose to withhold.

This disclosure follows concerns raised by several individuals regarding the removal of the Chief Justice and the potential loss of her end-of-service benefits.

Some have argued that a better approach could have been used to allow the Chief Justice, who had served in the judiciary for over a decade, to leave with her benefits.

Amaliba, speaking on TV3’s Keypoints on Saturday, September 6, 2025, made this revelation after panel members asked why she was not given the opportunity to resign honorably.

He further disclosed that processes were underway to allow her to resign or retire peacefully so she could receive her benefits.

However, when the presidency prepared the necessary documents, she went directly to court to challenge her suspension, making it impossible to finalize the arrangement.

“She approached the President through these two eminent people, very high-profile people,” Amaliba stated.

“Was anything done? I am saying yes. She then went to court,” which, according to him, prevented the authorities from agreeing to her terms.

Meanwhile, Amaliba also argued that claims suggesting the grounds for her removal did not meet the required threshold were false.

He cited the removals of former Electoral Commissioner Charlotte Osei and Lauretta Lamptey, a former head of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), as precedents.

He also criticized former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo for describing the removal as a “completely unnecessary process,” stating that her commentary was merely an afterthought.

According to Amaliba, it would have been unacceptable to allow a Chief Justice who allegedly had contracts, per diem and other benefits for her family to remain in office, describing such actions as “stated misbehaviour” or judicial misconduct.