Cases being handled by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) have begun to face setbacks following a High Court ruling that declared its prosecutions invalid due to a lack of authorisation.
This development emerged during proceedings in the alleged extortion case involving former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive, Dr Mustapha Hamid. According to his counsel, Akbar Yussif Rohullah Khomeini, the case had been scheduled for a case management conference on Tuesday, April 21.
During the hearing, the defence drew the court’s attention to an earlier ruling by Justice Eugene John Nyante Nyadu of the High Court’s General Jurisdiction 10 division.
The ruling directed the Attorney-General to take over all prosecutions initiated by the OSP, citing the office’s lack of prosecutorial authorisation under Section 4(2) of the OSP Act.
Defence lawyers argued that, in light of the decision, the OSP no longer has the legal mandate to continue prosecuting the case.
However, prosecutors from the OSP, led by Principal Prosecutor Adelaide Kubiri Woode, opposed the argument, indicating that an application for a stay of execution of the ruling has been filed.
The presiding judge subsequently adjourned the case to May 26, pending a decision on the application for a stay of execution.
