Justice Yonny Kulendi
Jonathan Owusu, a legal practitioner, is demanding information from the Presidency on whether or not President John Dramani Mahama has received any petition seeking the removal of Justice Yonny Kulendi from office as a Supreme Court Justice.
A formal request for information has, accordingly, been sent to the Right to Information(RTI) Officer at the Jubilee House, citing the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) and provisions of the 1992 Constitution, under which citizens are entitled to access information on matters of public interest.
In his request letter, received by one Suzzy Amedi, Mr Owusu Asare stated that he made the application “in the interest of transparency, accountability, and to clarify the position of the Presidency” regarding the reported petition for the removal of the Supreme Court Justice.
Constitutional basis
Mr Owusu Asare wrote, “All persons shall have the right to information, subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society.” He noted that his application was made under Section 18(1) of the Right to Information Act, which gives citizens the right to access official information held by public institutions.
The legal practitioner explained that his request was necessitated by media reports and public discussions regarding the alleged petition to remove Justice Kulendi, which had become a matter of national interest.
Request
He, therefore, asked the Presidency to confirm and provide detailed responses to the following:
“One, whether or not a petition has been filed for the removal of Justice Yonny Kulendi as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
Two, when was such a petition lodged? Three, has the petition concerning Justice Yonny Kulendi been forwarded to the Chief Justice for a prima facie determination per Article 146(3) of the Constitution?
Four, if the petition has been forwarded, when was it forwarded?,” portions of the petition stated.
The lawyer further reminded the Office of the President of its legal obligation under Section 23 of Act 989, which requires public institutions to respond to RTI requests within 14 days of receipt. “However, given that this matter is of utmost public interest, I shall be grateful if the requested information is offered as soon as practicable,” he added.
“This request is made in solemn exercise of my right to information, in the public interest, to ensure clarity on a matter of significant constitutional and national importance,” the letter stated.
Mr Owusu Asare empemphasised the purpose of his request was not only to confirm or deny the existence of such a petition, but to promote constitutional transparency, and uphold the principles of judicial independence.
Background
A private citizen, Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta, on 2 October 2025, petitioned President Mahama for the removal of Justice Yonny Kulendi as a Supreme Court judge.
His petition was submitted to the President after he filed a similar petition with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, requesting it to investigate Justice Kulendi and his cousin, Richard Jakpa, over alleged attempts to interfere with the administration of justice.
“The petition that I have filed at the CID headquarters is not the only petition that I have filed. I have also invoked the necessary and relevant provisions of the Ghanaian Constitution. I have petitioned the president for the removal of Justice Yonny Kulendi as justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana,” he said in an interview.
The petition stems from the high-profile trial in the case Republic v. Cassiel Ato Forson & 2 others, in which Jakpa, who currently serves as Director of Operations at the National Security Council, was the third accused.
Mr Marfo Ofori-Atta claims that Justice Yonny Kulendi attempted to obstruct justice in a manner that sinned against the code of conduct expected of a Supreme Court Justice.
His actions, according to Marfo Ofori-Atta, constitute stated misbehaviour, allegedly rendering him unfit to occupy the high office of a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
