The High Court in Accra has suspended proceedings in the case involving former National Petroleum ability (NPA) chairman Mustapha Abdul-Hamid after the defence questioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) ability to continue prosecution.
Lawyer Akbar Yussif Rohullah Khomeini informed the court that the OSP cannot prosecute without the Attorney General’s consent due to a recent High Court decision.
“This morning, in the NPA matter, we objected to the OSP’s capacity to continue with Case Management in light of the recent High Court decision voiding its capacity to prosecute without authorization from the AG,” he stated.
The OSP told the court that it had previously taken action to contest that ruling and rejected the objection.
“The OSP argued that it had filed a Notice of Appeal and an Application for a Stay of Execution,” Khomeini said.
The matter was then put on hold by the court.
“The court held, applying its wisdom, to suspend the hearing of the case until the determination of the OSP’s applications,” he continued.
According to him, the court also specified what would happen in the event that the OSP’s motion was denied.
He pointed out that “The court indicated it would enforce the High Court decision on the OSP’s lack of capacity to prosecute if its application for Stay of Execution fails.”
The case has been postponed until May 26.
The case is part of continuing legal processes related to the National Petroleum Authority case, in which Dr. Abdul-Hamid and others are facing a revised 54-count charge sheet following the withdrawal of prior charges.
Before this change, the accused were granted bail by the Criminal Court 4 division, which tightened oversight while preserving the majority of the previous terms.
According to the court, it was reasonable to maintain the prior terms with changes because the accused had previously completed significant obligations under them.
Twice a month, Dr. Abdul-Hamid and two others must report to the court registrar; regular reports are used to monitor compliance.
Any violation will result in a bench warrant, the judge cautioned.
The court is holding their passports while they are each on GH¢2 million bail with three sureties, including a public official and a property-backed guarantee.
Similar bail conditions, with modified surety needs, apply to other accused individuals.
Source: newsthemegh.com