Adu Boahene trial: Atta Akyea questions 14 day deadline for no case submission

Lead counsel for former National Signals Bureau Director General, Kwabena Adu Boahene, Samuel Atta Akyea, has expressed concerns over the 14 day deadline given by the Accra High Court for the defence to file a submission of no case. According to Mr Atta Akyea, the period was too short to prepare what he described as a credible submission, considering the volume of evidence and documents involved in the case. He explained that preparing such a submission required a careful examination of the evidence and documentation presented during the trial. 'It is too short a time to put together a credible submission of no case, given the volume of evidence and the documentation,' he stated. Mr Atta Akyea, however, maintained that the defence team had been trained to work under pressure and would make every effort to meet the deadline. He questioned what he described as the urgency surrounding the case, arguing that courts sometimes allow longer periods for parties to prepare submissions in cases involving large volumes of documents. 'I keep saying that this case is hurrying to where? What is the urgency of this case?' he questioned. The lawyer noted that even at the Supreme Court, parties could be given up to 21 days to file submissions, particularly when cases involved extensive documents and evidence. His comments follow the Accra High Court's decision to give the defence 14 days to file a submission of no case in the ongoing trial involving Adu Boahene. A submission of no case is a legal argument made by the defence asking the court to dismiss a case on the grounds that the prosecution has not presented sufficient evidence requiring the accused person to open a defence. By: Jacob Aggrey