The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) led by Kissi Agyabeng has petitioned the Chief Justice to remove Justice Edward Twum from handling his outfits pending cases.
Currently, there are two pending case before the Financial and Economic Division of the High Court in Accra – an originating motion seeking a confirmation order for Seizure and Freeze of Cecilia Dapaah’s property and the other a Charged sheet against her failure to declare her assets within 30days.
With the originating motion fixed for hearing today, October 12, after Cecilia Dapaah’s motion for abridgment of time was grant, the judge said he had received a letter from the Chief Justice that, the OSP had petitioned her for him to recuse himself.
“I have received a letter that the OSP has written to the Chief Justice that I recuse myself from the case,” Justice Edward Twum stated.
He said, the matter would be adjourned to the original October 18 date fixed for the case to await the decision of the Chief Justice on the petition.
Deliberate ploy
Lawyers of Cecilia Abena Dapaah led by Victoria Barth expressed disappointment and described the petition an “a deliberate ploy to frustrate” the business of the day.
“In respect of the information regarding the applicant’s petition to the Chief Justice that you recuse (Judge) yourself from this matter. It is however disappointing that having regard to the adverse effect that his pending application has on the first Respondent (Cecilia Dapaah), he did not even deem it fit to give us notice of this petition,” Counsel expressed.
“It is regrettable that this petition should come so late in the day when no prior indication or complaint has been made regarding your lordship capacity, competence or integrity in dealing with this matter.
“We see it, without prejudice to the merit of this petition, as a deliberate ploy to frustrate this morning’s hearing and a desperate attempt to avoid his own ill-fitted application. Nevertheless, the inevitable cannot be avoided and there shall be a day of reckoning.
THe case has since been adjourned to October 18 to await the decision of the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
