The Supreme Court has ruled that an injunction aimed at preventing President John Mahama from removing former Inspector General of Police (IGP) George Akuffo Dampare, as well as other heads of security agencies, cannot be granted. In a ruling delivered today, March 25, 2025, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Paul Baffoe Bonney, stated that the existence of an application for an interlocutory injunction does not impede the President from carrying out his public and administrative duties.
Filed by Imani Ghana and security expert Prof Kwesi Aning, the application sought to prevent the President from going ahead to replace the security service heads until the final determination of a case in which the applicants are seeking the Supreme Court’s interpretation on the constitutional provision. They argued that the security heads would be unfairly treated if they were removed before the Supreme Court delivers its ruling on the substantive case
Substantive case
The substantive case, which was filed last year, seeks clarification on the President’s authority to terminate or remove heads of agencies. It questions whether such actions can only occur based on proven misconduct or misbehavior established against these officials. The agencies involved include the Office of the Chief Fire Officer of the Fire Service, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Prisons Service, and the Comptroller General of the Immigration Service. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has scheduled May 7, 2025, to deliver its judgment on this substantive case.
By: Justice Agbenorsi
