Mustapha Hamid trial to continue during legal vacation despite defence plea

The Accra High Court has rejected a request by lawyers for four accused persons in the case involving former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, to adjourn the trial until October.

The defence teams had asked the court to suspend proceedings for the legal vacation and resume the case in October.

However, the court declined the request and directed that proceedings should continue during the legal vacation.

The judge indicated that the trial would continue unless the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, withdraws the warrant directing selected high-profile criminal cases to proceed during the legal vacation.

The decision means the ongoing trial, in which Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and other accused persons face allegations including extortion and related offences involving players in the petroleum sector, will not be halted for the vacation.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has accused the former NPA boss and others of unlawfully obtaining money from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies. The accused persons have denied the allegations.

The case has been designated among the high-profile criminal matters expected to proceed during the legal vacation.

The court’s decision therefore clears the way for proceedings to continue despite the defence teams’ request for an October resumption.

The trial involves Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and nine others, although recent developments in the case have seen changes to the number of accused persons facing the charges.

MyJoyOnline