Events turned dramatic in Court today, the 22nd day of January, 2026 when the Criminal Division of the High Court Presided by Her Ladyship Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay received reports of the detention of accused persons and their lawyers in the case of Republic vrs. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and Others (NPA Case) when accused persons visit the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to report themselves as ordered by the Court.

Her Ladyship Kocuvie-Tay, who was visibly displeased with the report from Counsel for the 1st and 2nd accused persons told the Principal Prosecutor from the OSP, the articulate and learned Adelaide Kobiri-Woode that the OSP cannot detain and investigate accused persons for the matter which the Court was already seized with and about to try.

Akbar Alkomeni Esq., Isreal Ackah Esq. and Clients detained over 5hrs

Lead Counsel for Mr. Hamid, the former Deputy Attorney-Genral, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka who enjoys the Company of Paul Assibi Abariga and others as defence Attorney for Mr. Hamid informed the Court of the 5-hour detention of his Client who visited the office of the OSP on Tuesday, 20th January, 2026 to report himself as ordered by the Court.

He informed the Court of interrogations by officers of the OSP conducted on his Client despite the completion of investigations, filed charges and an impending case management for the commencement of trial.

STAR OF THE MONTH - Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah Esq.

Prosecutor Kobiri-Woode retorts

Mrs. Kobiri-Woode who appeared to disbelieve the allegations emanating from defence Attorneys resisted the accusations and to further put the matter to rest and calm the Court, told the Court that the inevstigations which are carried out on the accused persons are that on other matters or cases not before the Court in the instant matter.

Mr. Kpemka shot back at the OSP and supplied a letter to the Court to disprove the explanations supplied by the Prosecutor to the Court. Mr. Kpemka read out the contents of the letter which shows that the investigations conducted by the Special Prosecutor pertains to the matter already in Court. A copy of the letter as read in Court may be read below:

Court not happy

With the benefit of the contents of the letter, Mrs. Kobiri-Woode reacted by saying that the actions of investigators from her Office was not acceptable and to demonstrate good faith, she informed the Court that prosecution shall take steps to stop the said conduct by their investigations team.

Displeased with the conduct of investigators with the OSP, Her Ladyship Kocuvie-Tay, known for her punctual and early sittings decried the conduct of the Office. She told the prosecution team, who together with all persons in the Court room had their attention firmly on the interesting turn of events that, the accused persons and their lawyers could not be subjected to detentions and investigations on the matter before the Court. Without ambiguity, she informed lawyers for the OSP that the office should not have filed charges if their investigations were uncompleted.

Reporting days varied

The Court consequently varied its orders to the accused persons and made a once-a-month-visit-to-the-OSP order beginning from March 2026. The Court thus changed its former order of weekly visits to the OSP by the accused persons to that of once a month excluding the month of February as the Court shall be engaged in a weekly Case Managment Conference for trial to commence in earnest.