Slow pace of fast-track court
Gilbert Boyefio
01/02/2007
Since the cocaine trial of Kwabena "Tagor? Amaning and Issah Abass began on November 27, 2006, prosecution has consistently struggled to muster its promised witnesses, in a case now marred with disappointments and adjournments.
Yesterday was the third consecutive, but by no means the only, time the prosecution had pleaded for an adjournment against the scheduled trial time.
Indeed, the last two sittings have all been about the medical conditions of the suspects on remand.
Prosecution has so far been able to produce only five witnesses with two ?no shows? for this supposedly ?fast track? case, and as the court resumed Tuesday, the prosecution (led by the Chief State Attorney, Gertrude Aikins) requested for adjournment yet again when it failed to produce its next witness.
A similar request was made by prosecution on December 6, 2006 when its third witness, James Koligu Ataki, a Principal Scientific Officer at the Ghana Standards Board, failed to show up.
At that hearing, the court enquired from prosecution how many more witnesses they had lined up, to which they replied ?about ten witnesses?.
This development in December prompted the trial Judge to ask prosecution to marshal all their witnesses in the case to ensure a consistent trial: ?Be sure you have all your witnesses ready and make sure at least you bring three of your witnesses on Tuesday and we will continue on Wednesday,? the Judge ordered.
But prosecution could not obey this directive as the Judge demanded again on December 12, ?So we are adjourning. I mean why are you bringing your witnesses in bits, you know they are short, short witnesses and this is a Fast Track Court??
The Judge once more demanded that prosecution ?should have brought many witnesses,? because the court is not ?interested in the peripherals.?
?My Lord the main witness would come. These are nominal witnesses? said Prosecutor Kpobi, promising to bring their ?bombshell.
?So, we are coming tomorrow?? the Judge enquired from the prosecution.
?No my Lord, we want to come back in January 2007,? the prosecution pleaded.
The judge insisted that the court sat the next day but to no avail, finally conceding to the prosecution witness to adjourn till January 16 and 17.
Yet, the first hearing of 2007 was also a no show, as a full courthouse waited in unfulfilled anticipation for the bombshell.
As prosecution continues to battle in marshalling its witnesses, Counsel for the accused persons have once again expressed their displeasure at the denial of medical care for their clients.
The second accused person, Issah Abass, who is said to be hypertensive and diabetic, was reported to have fallen in the Police cell and developed a swollen hand as a result of the fall.
The court was further informed by his Counsel, Sarfo Buabeng, that he has not been given medical care as instructed by the court at the last sitting.
In response, the investigator, Detective Inspector Charles Adaba of the CID Headquarters, told the court that since the last hearing, the accused had not reported of any sickness to him, until this morning when he complained that he had fallen.
When Detective Sergeant R K Tetteh, also from the CID Headquarters, who brought the accused persons from the Police cells to court today, was also asked if Issah Abass ever complained of any sickness to him before he brought him to the court, he replied in the negative.
The Trial Judge, Justice Jones Dotse, reiterated the need to protect the human rights of the accused persons by giving them the best of medical attention. He charged the investigator to ensure that the accused persons receive the needed medical care.
The case was adjourned to February 14, 2007, at the insistence of the prosecution.
Editor's note: Yesterday"s story contained a number of inaccuracies. We apologise unreservedly for any inconvenience caused by the publication
01/02/2007
Since the cocaine trial of Kwabena "Tagor? Amaning and Issah Abass began on November 27, 2006, prosecution has consistently struggled to muster its promised witnesses, in a case now marred with disappointments and adjournments.
Yesterday was the third consecutive, but by no means the only, time the prosecution had pleaded for an adjournment against the scheduled trial time.
Indeed, the last two sittings have all been about the medical conditions of the suspects on remand.
Prosecution has so far been able to produce only five witnesses with two ?no shows? for this supposedly ?fast track? case, and as the court resumed Tuesday, the prosecution (led by the Chief State Attorney, Gertrude Aikins) requested for adjournment yet again when it failed to produce its next witness.
A similar request was made by prosecution on December 6, 2006 when its third witness, James Koligu Ataki, a Principal Scientific Officer at the Ghana Standards Board, failed to show up.
At that hearing, the court enquired from prosecution how many more witnesses they had lined up, to which they replied ?about ten witnesses?.
This development in December prompted the trial Judge to ask prosecution to marshal all their witnesses in the case to ensure a consistent trial: ?Be sure you have all your witnesses ready and make sure at least you bring three of your witnesses on Tuesday and we will continue on Wednesday,? the Judge ordered.
But prosecution could not obey this directive as the Judge demanded again on December 12, ?So we are adjourning. I mean why are you bringing your witnesses in bits, you know they are short, short witnesses and this is a Fast Track Court??
The Judge once more demanded that prosecution ?should have brought many witnesses,? because the court is not ?interested in the peripherals.?
?My Lord the main witness would come. These are nominal witnesses? said Prosecutor Kpobi, promising to bring their ?bombshell.
?So, we are coming tomorrow?? the Judge enquired from the prosecution.
?No my Lord, we want to come back in January 2007,? the prosecution pleaded.
The judge insisted that the court sat the next day but to no avail, finally conceding to the prosecution witness to adjourn till January 16 and 17.
Yet, the first hearing of 2007 was also a no show, as a full courthouse waited in unfulfilled anticipation for the bombshell.
As prosecution continues to battle in marshalling its witnesses, Counsel for the accused persons have once again expressed their displeasure at the denial of medical care for their clients.
The second accused person, Issah Abass, who is said to be hypertensive and diabetic, was reported to have fallen in the Police cell and developed a swollen hand as a result of the fall.
The court was further informed by his Counsel, Sarfo Buabeng, that he has not been given medical care as instructed by the court at the last sitting.
In response, the investigator, Detective Inspector Charles Adaba of the CID Headquarters, told the court that since the last hearing, the accused had not reported of any sickness to him, until this morning when he complained that he had fallen.
When Detective Sergeant R K Tetteh, also from the CID Headquarters, who brought the accused persons from the Police cells to court today, was also asked if Issah Abass ever complained of any sickness to him before he brought him to the court, he replied in the negative.
The Trial Judge, Justice Jones Dotse, reiterated the need to protect the human rights of the accused persons by giving them the best of medical attention. He charged the investigator to ensure that the accused persons receive the needed medical care.
The case was adjourned to February 14, 2007, at the insistence of the prosecution.
Editor's note: Yesterday"s story contained a number of inaccuracies. We apologise unreservedly for any inconvenience caused by the publication
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