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Eighteen High Court and Court of Appeal judges appointed in 2023 and 2024 have yet to declare their assets and liabilities, almost two years after their appointments.
The non-compliance adds up to 22 judges from the country’s superior courts, including four Supreme Court judges, who have ignored the law since their appointment. They are part of more than 70 judges President Nana Akufo-Addo appointed in 2023 and 2024.
Through a Right to Information request, The Fourth Estate found that these judges did not comply with the law as of April 17, 2025.
Notable names on the Court of Appeal list include Justice Dr Poku Adusei, a former director in charge of legal affairs at the National Communications Authority; Justice Charles William Leopold Bartels Zwennes, a former private legal practitioner; and Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, the judge who jailed infamous Chinese illegal miner Aisha Huang.
Others are justices Charles Gyamfi Danquah, Gifty Dekyem, Richard Mac Kogyapwah, Francis Koffie,, and David Kwabena Adade Boafo. President Akufo-Addo swore them into office in July 2023.
Ten others in the High Court also breached the law.
The full list of the defaulting judges is below.
| February 7, 2023 | Court | Date of Appointment |
| Justice Poku Adusei | Court of Appeal | July 23, 2024 |
| Justice Charles William Leopold Bartels Zwennes | Court of Appeal | July 23, 2024 |
| Justice Lydia Osei Marfo | Court of Appeal | July 23, 2024 |
| Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah | Court of Appeal | July 23, 2024 |
| Justice Gifty Dekyem | Court of Appeal | July 23, 2024 |
| Justice Richard Mac Kogyapwah | Court of Appeal | July 23, 2024 |
| Justice Francis Koffie | Court of Appeal | July 23, 2024 |
| David Kwabena Adade Boafo | Court of Appeal | July 23, 2024 |
| Alexander Oworae | High Court | February 7, 2023 |
| Kwesi Adjenim-Boateng | High Court | Feburary 7, 2023 |
| Abigail Animah Asare | High Court | September 30, 2024 |
| Veronique Praba Tetteh | Court Court | September 30, 2024 |
| Samuel Djanie Kotey | High Court | September 30, 2024 |
| Abbas Abubakari Adams | High Court | September 30, 2024 |
| Agnes Opoku-Barnieh | High Court | September 30, 2024 |
| Justice Afia Owusuaa Appiah | High Court | September 30, 2024 |
| Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie | High Court | September 30, 2024 |
| Justice Oliver Abada | High Court | September 30, 2024 |
According to Article 286 of the Constitution and Act 550, judges are required to declare their assets and liabilities upon taking office within six months of taking office. They are also obliged to repeat the declaration every four years after assuming office and at the end of their tenure.
However, these judges, some of whom have been in office for nearly two years, have flouted the asset declaration law, meant to fight graft and ensure that public officeholders do not use their positions to illicitly enrich themselves.
No response from judges
On May 28, 2025, The Fourth Estate wrote to the Judicial Secretary, requesting to know the asset declaration status of the 18 judges
It is regrettable. —Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition
None of them responded to the letter. Reacting to The Fourth Estate’s findings, Beauty Emefa Narteh, Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti–Corruption Coalition (GACC), said the judges’ non-compliance is regrettable.
“The judiciary plays a crucial role in upholding the law and must adhere to the highest standards of compliance, particularly with asset declaration,” she said.
“Enforcing a law while breaching it erodes public trust and undermines judicial integrity. To restore and maintain citizens’ trust, the judiciary should implement robust internal measures, including verification of compliance with asset declaration, and apply sanctions for non-compliance.”
Article 286 (1) of the 1992 Constitution states that “a person who holds a public office mentioned in clause (5) of this Article shall submit to the Auditor-General a written declaration of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by, him whether directly or indirectly (a) within three months after the coming into force of this Constitution or before taking office, as the case may be, (b) at the end of every four years; and (b) at the end of his term of office.”
The Constitution requires the declaration to be made before the public officer takes office. However, Section 1(4)(c) of the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act directs the public office holder to meet this requirement “not later than six months after taking office, at the end of every four years, and not later than six months at the end of his or her term.”
Critics of the two laws, including Mrs Narteh, say reforms are needed to make the law conform to international best practice. They argue that verification and publication, which are absent in the current laws, should be added to the legislation.
Currently, Liberia, South Africa, Tanzania, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe are the only African countries that allow the publication of assets declared.
Who must do the declaration?
The laws requires that the President, Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament, Deputy Speakers of Parliament, members of Parliament, ministers and deputy ministers of state, ambassadors, the Chief Justice and Judges of Superior Court to submit to the Auditor-General written declarations of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by them, whether directly or indirectly. Others required to make similar declarations are managers of public institutions in which the state has interest.
