Chief Justice Rejects Call to Defer Adu-Boahen and Abdul-Wahab Cases Until After Legal Vacation
– Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has rejected calls for the cases involving former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahen, and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab, to be deferred until after the legal vacation.
The decision follows a petition by lawyers for the accused persons challenging a warrant issued by the Chief Justice authorising the judges handling the cases to sit as vacation judges.
The lawyers, including Samuel Atta Akyea and Godfred Dame, cited prior commitments during the legal vacation and asked that the cases be adjourned until October.
However, speaking at the 2nd Quadrennial Delegates Congress of the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said adjournments were matters for the courts and could not be treated as administrative decisions subject to the legal vacation.
The cases will therefore continue during the vacation period, with the court adjourning the matter to August 18 for further case management proceedings.
Counsel for the accused persons said that some members of the defence teams had travelled outside the country and made commitments for the vacation before the decision to continue the proceedings.
