The Chief Justice, her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo has declined the request of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to remove High Court Judge, Justice Edward Twum from all cases involving the OSP.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) led by Kissi Agyabeng a fortnight ago petitioned the Chief Justice to remove Judge.
But in a letter dated 25 October 2023, “the Judicial Secretary informed the Special Prosecutor that, the Chief Justice is unable to accede to the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) request for his lordship Justice Edward Twum to be recused and removed from all cases involving the OSP pending before him.”
Lawyers of the office of the special prosecutor had indicated that they cannot have Justice Edward Twum hear the application as he is prejudiced against them.
The request was grounded on the OSP’s belief that Justice Edward Twum appears to be highly prejudiced against the OSP and the person of the Special Prosecutor.
On 31st August 2023, the High Court in Accra ordered the office of the Special Prosecutor to return seized properties from residence of embattled former Sanitation Minister, Madam Cecilia Dapaah within 7 days from today.
This was after the Court presided over by Justice Edward Twum ruled that, the OSP acted wrongly in exercising its powers to conduct a search in the home of the former minister.
The court said the OSP per the law violated conditions precedent before it could make such orders to seize those properties it deemed “suspected tainted property” with corruption.
The court also ruled that, the OSP failed to file the application within the 7 days statutory requirement but rather filed the seizure orders out of time and the court cannot support it.
The court said the seizure was done on July 24 while the application was filed on August 8, which is 14 days in clear violation of 7 days period legally required.
Justice Twum said the court also found no justifiable reasons for the OSP to freeze the accounts of Cecelia Dapaah.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com
