OSP vs Cecilia Dapaah: CJ to assign new judge as Justice Twum takes leave

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo is likely to assign a new judge to the cases filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) against Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah after Justice Edward Twum has taken his leave.

This is because, the presiding Judge, Justice Twum sat throughout the two months of legal vacation and was required to take leave after the resumption of the new legal year.

The case is adjourned to November 29.

The adjournment affected the originating motion seeking a freeze and seizure order and the criminal case where the Office of the Special Prosecutor charged the former minister for failing to disclose her financial assets within 30 days.

On October 25, the last court sitting, a motion on notice for Stay of Proceedings was to be heard but it was adjourned because an outcome of a petition sent to the Chief Justice to remove judge from all OSP cases had not been determined.

The petition was subsequently determined moments after the case was adjourned with the CJ dismissing the request to have the judge removed.

In Court on Wednesday, November 8, when the case was called for the Stay of Proceedings to be heard, it was adjourned because Justice Edward Twum is said to have taken his leave.

Justice Twum is one of the 12 judges at the Law Court Complex who sat during the two-month legal vacation.

On October 25, lawyers of the OSP led by Dr. Isidore Tufuor had told the court that they had filed two applications- one for Stay of Proceedings and another for Certiorari at the Supreme Court seeking to arrest part of a ruling of the Court on October 11 on a motion for abridgment of time was heard.

He also pointed out that a motion for Stay of Proceedings was filed pending the determination of the Supreme Court case.

Former Sanitation Minister, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah and husband Daniel Osei Kufuor were present with their lawyers led by Victoria Barth.

Lawyers of the OSP were also present as the case was heard in Chambers.