Court rejects Abdul Hamid counsel’s plea for lengthy adjournment

The Accra High Court has dismissed a request from the legal team representing former National Petroleum Authority CEO Mustapha Abdul Hamid for an extended delay in his ongoing case. The court instructed all parties to reappear on Wednesday to proceed with the case management conference. After Tuesday’s hearings, Abdul Hamid’s counsel explained to reporters that the defence had sought additional time due to health issues and fatigue resulting from a taxing legal year.

The legal team, including the lawyer, had been experiencing ailments, and the upcoming Ghana Bar Association conference further contributed to their request for an adjournment. The lawyer clarified that the entire team had been present in court throughout the judicial vacation, despite an earlier plea to waive the holidays. They expressed their exhaustion following a demanding year and hoped for a few more days to recover before the next hearing.

However, the judge declined the request and ordered the parties to return the following day. The lawyer emphasized that the adjournment request was based on genuine concerns, not to delay the proceedings, citing the ill health of some legal team members and the forthcoming Bar conference as the key reasons. Despite the denial of their plea, the counsel assured that the legal team would abide by the court’s decision and attend the continuation of the case management conference.