Lawyers for Cecilia Dapaah have accused the Special Prosecutor’s Office of disrespecting the court by handling the petition to remove Justice Edward Twum.
Lawyers from the Office of the Special Prosecutor were not present in court on Thursday, despite the fact that they were expected to file an application for confirmation of seizure and freezing orders, as well as initiate proceedings for the allegation of failure to declare assets made against Cecilia Dapaah.
The judge was forced to postpone the hearing until the Chief Justice responded to the request that he be removed from the case.
However, Cecilia Dapaah’s lawyers did not take this lightly, expressing disappointment at the office of the special prosecutor’s failure to notify them of the petition.
The petition, according to Victoria Barth, is a “deliberate ploy to frustrate this morning’s hearing (Confirmation application) and a desperate attempt to avoid his (Kissi Agyabeng) own ill-fitting application.”
The court was also unable to hear the case in which the former sanitation minister was charged with failing to register her assets. This was owing to the failure of the special prosecutor’s office lawyers to appear in court due to the petition to have the Judge removed from any of their cases.
Lawyers for Cecilia Dapaah also expressed worry about the decision of the special prosecutor’s office to withdraw from the proceedings.
In court, Victoria Barth stated that
“I am not aware of any law or rule of procedure that dispenses with the absence of a lawyer or prosecutor just because they have petitioned the Chief Justice in respect of a matter of which they have due notice and have even initiated.”
She claimed in court that the special prosecutor’s office had not handled the court with respect and justice.
“As lawyers, we have an ethical duty to show respect to the court and to treat all persons we engage in the administration of justice fairly and that has not happened today. The OSP is not above the law,”
In court, Victoria Barth stated.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor’s office on social networking site X revealed that the petition intends to have Justice Edward Twum removed from all outstanding cases involving the special prosecutor’s office.
According to the office, Justice Edward Twum is biased towards the office and against the special prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng.
