The Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has opposed an application to adjourn the trial involving former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCo) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul Wahab and his wife to August 17.
The request for an adjournment was made after the accused persons appeared before the High Court in Accra on Wednesday, August 12, without their lawyer, Godfred Yeboah Dame.
Hanan Abdul Wahab told the court that Mr Dame was unwell and had been in and out of hospital over the past few days, making it impossible for him to attend the proceedings.
He therefore asked the court to adjourn the case to allow the lawyer to recover and appear at the next sitting.
However, Dr Srem-Sai opposed the request, arguing that the lawyer’s absence was consistent with an earlier position that he would not attend the Wednesday hearing.
He urged the court not to grant the adjournment and to allow the proceedings to continue.
The defence also informed the court of an application pending before the Court of Appeal seeking a stay of proceedings and an order to have the charges against the accused persons struck out.
Despite the Deputy Attorney General’s objection, presiding judge Justice Francis Achibonga adjourned the case to Monday, August 17, 2026.
The judge directed that Mr Dame must appear on the next hearing date to clarify the status of the application before the Court of Appeal.
Justice Achibonga further warned that if the lawyer fails to appear, the accused persons could be required to cross-examine the first prosecution witness.
The state’s objection to the adjournment therefore sets the stage for a potentially contentious hearing when the case returns to court on August 17.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Jeffery Mawutor Attipoe, Mavis Fantevi