Member of the NDC Communications Team, Hamza Suhuyini, has urged the parties involved in the cases of 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 to reach an amicable agreement over proceedings during the legal vacation.
Mr Suhuyini said the disagreement over whether the cases should be heard during the legal vacation should not overshadow the broader interest of justice.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Wednesday, August 12, he called on the presiding judge to engage further with the lawyers representing the accused persons to find a mutually acceptable way forward.
“I think that the judge in the case must engage further with the lawyers of the accused persons. Let us reach an amicable solution,” he said.
According to Mr Suhuyini, reaching an agreement would help preserve public confidence in the judicial process, regardless of whether the accused persons are eventually convicted or acquitted.
He argued that the dispute over the timing of the hearings was not serving the interests of either the accused persons or the state prosecutors.
“This tussle as to whether to sit during legal vacation or not to sit is not healthy for all of us, whether accused persons or those who are actually prosecuting the case on behalf of the state,” he said.
Mr Suhuyini therefore encouraged both sides to continue discussions and seek common ground, stressing that the interest of justice should remain the primary consideration.
His comments follow a decision by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to reject a request from lawyers for Mr Adu-Boahen and Mr Abdul-Wahab to have their cases deferred until after the legal vacation.
The decision has generated further discussion over the observance of legal vacation and the circumstances under which courts should hear cases during the period.
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has subsequently appealed to the Chief Justice to ensure that judges adhere to established rules and traditions governing the legal vacation.
