Chief Justice’s dismissal, corruption cases discontinuation affected Ghana’s CPI score—Transparency International Ghana

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo was removed from office in 2025 for stated misbehaviour.

Transparency International Ghana (TI-Ghana) has stated that the dismissal of Ghana’s Chief Justice in 2025 and the discontinuation of corruption cases involving individuals linked to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) have impacted the 2025 Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

Ghana moved up one place in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, returning to a score of 43 out of 100. With this score, Ghana ranks 76th among 182 countries assessed in the 2025 CPI.

The marginal improvement reverses the decline recorded in 2024, when Ghana posted its worst score and ranking in five years. Between 2020 and 2023, Ghana consistently scored 43 points before experiencing a one-point drop in 2024.

In 2025, Ghana saw high-profile corruption investigations and prosecutions, but TI-Ghana believes other factors may have accounted for the score of 43, just one better than the previous year’s.

“Even though 2025 saw efforts to increase transparency in corruption investigation and prosecution by the state, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the dismissal of the former Chief Justice and the various petitions for the removal of heads of various independent institutions smacks of politicisation of the Judiciary and law enforcement and undue influences by the executive,” TI Ghana said in a statement following the release of the report.

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo was removed from office on grounds of stated misbehaviour after a constitutionally constituted commission of enquiry investigated allegations made against her in multiple petitions.

But that was not the only possible reason TI-Ghana gave for Ghana’s score. It added, “Also, the discontinuation ofcorruption cases involving members of the ruling government through a 60:40 settlement raised eyebrows among Ghanaians and dampened expectations raised by the publication of Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL).”

The Corruption Perceptions Index, published by Transparency International, assesses “perceived levels of public-sector corruption” in 182 countries and territories. It draws on 13 independent data sources and scores countries on a scale from 0, considered highly corrupt, to 100, considered very clean.

TI-Ghana said, “The score indicates that Ghana continues to struggle with persistent corruption, weak compliance with and enforcement of the legal and policy framework, and weak state institutions dedicated to combating corruption.”

To reverse this, Transparency International recommends that countries must go to every length to “deter potential offenders and protect people who speak out against corruption,  countries’ justice systems must be shielded from interference by political or economic interests.”

It further adds that “citizens deserve to know who funds political parties and candidates, or who influences decisions. It’s important that political finance, conflicts of interest and lobbying are regulated, documented and subject to public scrutiny to ensure that democracy is protected against potential corruption.”

This recommendation comes at a time when the NDC and the OSP are investigating allegations of vote-buying in the just-ended NDC Ayawaso East primaries, which drew widespread public condemnation. The vote-buying allegations led to the recall of Ghana’s ambassador to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, who won the primaries.

While the CPI does not measure individual policies or programmes, the report identifies stronger justice systems, independent oversight of public spending, transparency in political decision-making, and protection of media freedom and civic space as key drivers of improvement.

Regionally, Ghana ranked joint 10th in Africa in the 2025 index. The country performed above the regional average of 32, but remains outside the continent’s top five performing countries. Seychelles remains the top performer in Africa with a score of 68, followed by Cabo Verde at 62. Botswana and Rwanda both score 58, while Mauritius records 48. Namibia and Senegal score 46, and Ghana is ranked alongside Côte d’Ivoire at 43.