The Chief Justice, Kwesi Anin-Yeboah, has granted a request by Member of Parliament for Assin Central Constituency Kennedy Ohene Agyapong to have judge Eric Baah retained in a defamation case with renowned investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker had apparently written to the Chief Justice, through his lawyers, to have Justice Eric Baah brought back after Justice Gifty Addo was substantively asked to hear the case.
Justice Baah, a Court of Appeal judge, had sat on the case as an additional High Court Judge.
But on Tuesday, October 19, lead counsel for Mr Agyapong, the defendant, petitioned the Chief Justice to have Justice Baah retained with the pretext, inter alia, that Justice Gifty Addo “does not have the benefit of the demeanour of the witnesses so far”.
On Wednesday, October 27, Justice Anin-Yeboah wrote to Justice Baah to continue the case to its finality.
But lawyers of Anas Aremeyaw Anas are surprised of the development as they claim no knowledge of it.
“On 1st December 2021 when lawyers of Anas appeared in court for business, the Court referred them to another court on grounds that the matter is no longer before the substantive judge and that the CJ has acceded to the request by Mr. Agyapong for the Eric Baah, J.A to continue to sit on the case,” they stated.
The case has since been adjourned to Thursday, December 16 for further cross-examination of Mr Agyapong.
Anas is suing the firebrand MP for defamation in the sum of GH¢25 million after claiming the latter caused disaffection for him in the attacks of the Number 12 documentary.
The suit was filed in 2018.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana