The Accra High Court has thrown out a plea by former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mustapha Hamid, to adjourn the trial until October.
The High Court ruled that the trial against Mustapha Hamid and others will continue during the legal vacation despite the defence’s plea.
The court directed that proceedings should continue during the legal vacation.
The Judge disclosed that the case will proceed unless the Chief Justice withdraws the warrant directing selected high-profile criminal cases to proceed during the legal vacation.
The High Court decision clears the way for proceedings to continue despite the defence teams’ request for an October resumption.
Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited have been accused of alleged large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering amounting to GH¢297,574,087.19 and US$332,407.47.
Dr Mustapha Hamid, the first accused, has been accused of orchestrating a large-scale corruption scheme within the petroleum sector between 2022 and 2024.
They have been accused of laundering funds funnelled into luxury properties, vehicles, and fuel stations through a coordinated scheme that targeted Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs).
Earlier, the case was adjourned to August 26, 2025, for substantive hearings to commence.
The former NPA CEO, Dr Abdul-Hamid, on July 23, was granted bail in the sum of GH¢2 million.
As part of his bail, he was required to produce two sureties which each earning a net monthly salary of not less than GH¢5,000.
He was also mandated to report himself to the OSP once every two weeks.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has told the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) and Lawyers representing Abdul-Hanan Wahab and former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene, Godfred Dame and Atta Akyea that legal vacation doesn’t stop judges from hearing cases.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie debunked suggestions that lawyers can decline to proceed with cases simply because they have been scheduled during the legal vacation.
According to the Chief Justice, a judge who is sitting and ready to hear a case cannot be prevented from doing so purely because counsel has made personal arrangements during the vacation period.
Speaking at the 2nd Quadrennial Delegates Congress of the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service of Ghana in Sunyani in the Bono Region, the Chief Justice stated, “You cannot say that there is legal vacation, so a judge who is actually sitting and ready to do your case cannot do it. No, that’s not it”.
“To write to the Chief Justice to say that the cases should not be adjourned to the vacation, so I am not coming, I have already made arrangements outside, so I am not coming.
“You are a lawyer; you have your clients. If your clients decide to give you leave, well, go on leave, but you cannot say that there is a legal vacation and the judge who is actually sitting cannot do your case. No, that is not it,” he stated.
“No, adjournments are not at the instance of the Chief Justice. Adjournment is a judicial act. This is something that is so basic,” he said.
Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie’s comments follow a letter from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) appealing to him over concerns about lawyers being required to appear in court during the legal vacation.
According to the GBA, they are concerned about directives that compel lawyers to appear in court during the vacation period despite indicating their unavailability.
The GBA argued that Counsel are not under any compulsion to appear before a Vacation Court.
They noted that the legal vacation, which runs from August 1 to September 30, is intended to provide judges, lawyers and judicial staff a period of respite following the demanding calendar.
They, however, noted that Vacation Courts may sit to deal with urgent and interlocutory matters during the period.
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