Adu-Boahen, Abdul-Wahab Lawyers Petition Chief Justice Over Vacation Court Sittings

• Defence lawyers for Kwabena Adu-Boahen and Hanan Abdul-Wahab challenged a decision to continue criminal trials during the legal vacation
• Counsel argued that High Court judges sitting during the break are only permitted to handle motions, not substantive criminal proceedings
• Hearings for the cases have been scheduled for August 11 and 12, 2026, despite the ongoing legal vacation

Defence lawyers representing three prominent accused persons in ongoing criminal trials have formally petitioned the Chief Justice, contesting the scheduling of substantive court proceedings during the legal vacation.

The challenge involves cases against former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Hanan Abdul-Wahab, and former former Director of the National Signals Bureau Kwabena Adu-Boahen.

In a report sighted on GhanaWeb, their legal teams argue that continuing criminal trials during the court break is inconsistent with long-established judicial practice.

Lawyers challenge vacation vourt authorisation

The dispute arose after Justice Francis Achibonga received authorisation to sit and continue hearing the cases during the legal vacation, with proceedings scheduled for August 11 and 12, 2026.

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Godfred Yeboah Dame, counsel for Hanan Abdul-Wahab, contended that High Court judges permitted to sit during the vacation are strictly confined to hearing motions.

"A Justice of the High Court may be permitted to sit and hear only motions in the legal vacation. In accordance with this practice, vacation courts are held throughout the country for motions only," he stated.

Samuel Atta Akyea, who represents Kwabena Adu-Boahen, raised a separate but related concern, arguing that the directive would effectively compel lawyers to remain actively engaged beyond the legal year, disrupting personal and professional arrangements already made in anticipation of the court break.

Concerns over equal treatment raised

The defence teams also raised the issue of selective scheduling, warning that singling out specific criminal cases for vacation sittings while others are not similarly treated could give rise to concerns about unequal treatment before the law.

The petition to the Chief Justice signals the defence's intent to have the matter reviewed at the highest administrative level of the judiciary before the scheduled August dates.

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No response from the Chief Justice's office had been made public at the time of writing.

Chairman Wontumi appeals 20-year prison sentence

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh previously reported that Samuel Atta Akyea had filed a Notice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, challenging Chairman Wontumi’s conviction.

The appeal raised more than 20 grounds, including arguments concerning criminal intent, witness credibility, and alleged judicial overreach.

Chairman Wontumi, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, had been sentenced to 20 years in prison with hard labour on July 20, 2026.

Source: YEN.com.gh