The Court of Appeal has rejected an effort to suspend proceedings in the ongoing criminal case against Charles Bissue and two others, allowing the trial at the High Court to move forward. The stay of proceedings was requested by the third accused, Dr. Naa Dedei Tagoe, following a High Court order for the first prosecution witness to testify in camera. Dr. Tagoe’s legal team contended that conducting part of the trial behind closed doors would violate the constitutional guarantee of a fair and public hearing. They called on the appellate court to intervene, arguing that the situation presented exceptional circumstances.
However, prosecutors opposed the request, maintaining that the High Court had put in place sufficient safeguards to protect the rights of the accused. They argued that no irreparable harm had been demonstrated to justify halting the trial. In its ruling, the Court of Appeal found no merit in the application. It held that the defence had failed to establish exceptional circumstances or show that proceeding with the case would cause irreparable harm.
The court therefore dismissed the application, allowing the trial at the High Court to proceed. Charles Bissue, Raphael Mensah and Dr Naa Dedei Tagoe are facing charges of receiving bribes and illicit gifts to unlawfully fast-track the issuance of a mining concession sticker for an unlicensed company.
Source: Edward Acquah
