Judges resume sitting in Accra

April 6, 2011 (Page 3)
JUDGES of the superior and lower courts resumed duty 24 hours after they declined to sit on cases for fear of being attacked by hundreds of youth who staged a demonstration in Accra on Tuesday seeking justice for the murder of the Overlord of Dagbon, Ya Na Yakubu Andani II.
The Judicial Secretary, Mr Justice Alex Opoku-Acheampong, had on Tuesday informed reporters that the judges stayed away from the courtrooms in view of the absence of security personnel at the courts to provide adequate protection against any possible attacks from the demonstrators.
A tour of the courts by the Daily Graphic indicated that the parking lots at the Cocoa Affairs Court, the Supreme and the Fast Track High courts were filled to capacity as of 8.40 a.m., indicating that normal activities had resumed.
Most courtrooms were also filled to capacity as of 9.00 a.m., while judges were seen busily adjudicating over cases.
Some lawyers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed disappointment at the events that happened on Tuesday and expressed the hope that aggrieved persons would follow due process of the law and seek legal redress, instead of demonstrating and disrupting court proceedings, to the detriment of litigants and remand prisoners.
Some members of the public who had travelled long distances to the court premises were happy that normal activities had resumed.
Meanwhile, the trial involving a former Minister of Information, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, aka Asabee, and seven others resumed at the Fast Track High Court in Accra yesterday.
The prosecution amended aspects of counts one and two which bordered on conspiracy and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
Following the amendment of the sections, which in effect did not affect the charges levelled against the accused persons over the GH¢86,915.85 contract for renovation works at the Ministry of Information, the defence team requested the court to allow it to recall prosecution witnesses.
The prosecution, however, prayed the court to decline the defence team’s request on the grounds that fresh evidence had not been introduced to warrant the recall of prosecution witnesses.
Ruling on the defence team’s request, the trial judge, Mr Justice Charles Quist, was of the view that fresh evidence had not been introduced into the case and for that reason the court would not allow the recall of prosecution witnesses.
Hearing continues on April 14, 2011.
Those standing trial are Asabee, his wife, Zuleika Asamoah-Boateng; Frank Agyekum, a former Deputy Minister at the ministry; Kofi Asamoah-Boateng, a former Director of Finance and Administration at the ministry; Kwabena Denkyira, a former Deputy Director of Finance and Administration at the ministry; Yasmin Domua and Prosper Aku, both of Supreme Procurement Agency Ltd, as well as the company as an entity.
They have been charged with contravening the Procurement Act. Asabee and Zuleika are alleged to have conspired to contravene the act by not following the due process in obtaining a contract amounting to GH¢86,915.85 for renovation works at the Ministry of Information.
All the accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges and have all been admitted to bail.