The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to suspend the ongoing court cases involving former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahen and former National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab until the reopening of the legal term in October.
The NPP is asking the Chief Justice to withdraw the warrants that allow the judges handling the two cases to sit during the legal vacation. According to the party, continuing the trials during the vacation period goes against the established practice governing the operation of vacation courts in Ghana.
The demand comes after Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie approved the continuation of the cases during the legal vacation despite objections from lawyers representing the accused persons.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, NPP General Secretary Justin Koduah Frimpong urged the Chief Justice to reverse the decision and allow the cases to resume when the normal legal term begins.
The NPP General Secretary said the party expects the Chief Justice to withdraw the warrants permitting the vacation hearings and restore what he described as the established practice for legal vacation proceedings.
The party also appealed to the Chief Justice to consider a petition from the Ghana Bar Association concerning the conduct of court proceedings during the legal vacation.
NPP Challenges Court Ultimatum to Adu-Boahen
The NPP’s position follows a directive from the High Court on Tuesday, August 11, requiring former NSB Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahen and his wife to potentially continue cross-examining a prosecution witness if their lawyers fail to appear at the next court sitting.
The party has rejected the ultimatum issued by High Court Justice Francis Achibonga, arguing that the accused persons should not be compelled to proceed with their trial without legal representation from lawyers of their choice.
The NPP therefore wants the court directive to be withdrawn, stressing that an accused person should not be forced to conduct a criminal trial without counsel of their choosing.
Lawyers Seek Adjournment Until October
The latest dispute over the vacation hearings follows separate petitions filed by lawyers representing the accused persons.
Samuel Atta Akyea, who represents Kwabena Adu-Boahen, and Godfred Dame, counsel for Hanan Abdul-Wahab, have challenged the warrants authorising the judges handling the cases to sit during the legal vacation.
The lawyers cited prior professional commitments during the vacation period and requested that the proceedings be adjourned until October when the regular legal term resumes.
They argued that allowing the trials to continue during the vacation could create significant challenges for legal counsel who had already scheduled professional engagements for the period.
Chief Justice Defends Vacation Court Proceedings
Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, however, has rejected the request, maintaining that decisions on adjournments remain within the authority of the courts.
He indicated that an adjournment cannot be treated as an administrative matter that automatically takes effect simply because the courts are operating under a legal vacation schedule.
The cases have subsequently been adjourned to August 17 for further case management proceedings.
The dispute has sparked renewed public discussion about Ghana’s legal vacation system, the rights of accused persons to legal representation, and the authority of the judiciary to determine whether sensitive criminal cases should continue during the court vacation.
Source: newsthemegh.com