I will continue to sit until Chief Justice revokes warrant - High Court judge tells lawyers seeking adjournment in Mustapha Abdul-Hamid trial for legal vacation

An Accra High Court judge has declared he will continue to preside over a trial during the ongoing legal vacation, pushing back against defense lawyers' pleas for an adjournment.

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I will continue to sit until Chief Justice revokes warrant

Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga stated that he would only cease hearing the case if the Chief Justice revokes the warrant that empowers him to sit during the vacation period, which spans August and September. Lawyers for five of the accused had requested the case be postponed until October, citing prior commitments and travel plans.

The judge emphasized that the Chief Justice's directive to sit during the vacation would be pointless if cases were routinely adjourned. He noted that the law firm representing the lawyers seeking to travel should have other counsel available to attend to cases. The judge has given the accused until the next adjourned date, August 17, 2026, to decide on their legal representation, warning that the court will proceed with the Case Management Conference and they may have to represent themselves if they remain unrepresented.

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if the cases were to be heard only in October, there would have been no need for the Chief Justice to issue a warrant directing the court to sit during the vacation.

The trial involves former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and five others. They face charges of conspiring to extort more than GH¢291,574,087.19 and $323,407.47 from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies between 2022 and December 2024. The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) alleges that the scheme was devised by Dr. Abdul-Hamid and involved the unlawful collection of funds under various pretexts. Three executives from companies allegedly involved in concealing proceeds are also charged. All accused have pleaded not guilty and are on bail.

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the firm ought to have a lawyer available at all times to represent the accused persons.