A new judge will be appointed by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to handle the Cecilia Dapaah case, since Justice Edward Twum of the High Court’s Financial and Economic Division would be taking a leave of absence.
On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, Justice Twum gave notice of his leave to the solicitors and parties involved in the Cecilia Dapaah case. The court then postponed the hearings until November 29, 2023.
This action is expected to cause more delays in the Cecilia Dapaah case, giving the Special Prosecutor more time to look into the matter, if any.
It is expected that the present judge will take up her duties in February 2024.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) petitioned to have Justice Twum removed from hearing all matters before him due to perceived bias in favour of the previous Sanitation Minister. The Chief Justice denied the motion, leading to the announcement of Justice Twum’s departure and the selection of his replacement.
Cecilia Dapaah’s trial was earlier postponed by the Financial and Economic Court 2 while the Chief Justice made a decision on the the OSP’s petition.
The OSP revealed that the Chief Justice had turned down its request on X, the former name of Twitter. It is expected that the OSP would file a motion to stay proceedings until the Supreme Court rules on a certiorari motion filed to overturn a previous Accra High Court ruling.
Cecilia Dapaah applied for an abridgement of time, which the court had previously allowed. She explained to the court that the delay in the case’s hearing was causing her anxiety and suffering because her assets and bank accounts were still frozen and seized.
The case involving Cecelia Dapaah is still pending, but it should proceed expeditiously with the appointment of a new judge.
