Cecilia Dapaah accuses OSP of disrespecting court over CJ petition

Lawyers for Cecilia Dapaah have accused the office of the Special Prosecutor of disrespecting the court over how it carried out the petition to get Justice Edward Twum removed.

Lawyers of the Office of the Special Prosecutor were absent in court on Thursday even though they were scheduled to move an application for confirmation of seizure and freezing orders as well as begin processes for the charge of refusal to declare assets brought against Cecilia Dapaah.

The judge was forced to adjourn the sitting to a later date until a time when the Chief Justice responded to the request for him to be removed from the case.

However, the lawyers of Cecilia Dapaah did not take this lightly as they expressed disappointment at the failure of the office of the special prosecutor to notify them of the petition.

Victoria Barth described the petition as ‘a deliberate ploy to frustrate this morning’s hearing (Confirmation application) and a desperate attempt to avoid his (Kissi Agyabeng) own ill-fitted application.’

The court also could not hear the case where the former sanitation minister is charged for refusing to declare her assets. This was because of the failure of the lawyers of the office of the special prosecutor to make themselves available in court due to the petition to have the Judge removed from any of their cases.

Lawyers for Cecilia Dapaah also raised concerns about the decision of lawyers from the office of the special prosecutor to absent themselves from proceedings.

Victoria Barth indicated in court that “I am not aware of any law or rule of procedure that dispenses with the absence of a lawyer or prosecutor just because they have petitioned the Chief Justice in respect of a matter of which they have due notice and have even initiated.”

She insisted in court that the office of the special prosecutor has not treated the court with respect and fairness.

“As lawyers, we have an ethical duty to show respect to the court and to treat all persons we engage in the administration of justice fairly and that has not happened today. The OSP is not above the law,” Victoria Barth said in court.

Meanwhile, the office of the special prosecutor on social media platform X has explained that the petition is to get Justice Edward Twum removed from all pending cases involving the office of the special prosecutor.

The office says Justice Edward Twum is prejudiced against the office and against the person of the special prosecutor Kissi Agyabeng.