Court rejects Mustapha Abdul-Hamid’s adjournment plea, orders trial to resume on Wednesday

The Accra High Court has denied lead counsel Joseph Kpemka's request for a prolonged adjournment of the trial of Mustapha Abdul-Hamid. Kpemka had cited reasons such as his ill health, exhaustion, and the upcoming bar conference as grounds for the adjournment. However, the court directed that the parties return for the continuation of the case management conference the following day.

Abdul-Hamid and six others are currently facing charges of extorting money from individuals in the petroleum sector. Despite an earlier attempt to strike out the charges being dismissed, the pre-trial proceedings are set to proceed. Kpemka explained that he had sought the adjournment due to various factors, including his health and the impending legal events.

However, the court maintained that the decision to adjourn rests with the trial court and not the Chief Justice. The defence team had made their request for a few more days to recuperate from the challenging legal year they had endured.