Isa's fate to be determined at Appeal Court on June 11

The Fast Track High Court trying Mallam Yusuf Isa, former Youth and Sports Minister, for stealing 46,000 dollars and fraudulently causing financial loss to the state, adjourned hearing to June 13.

The court was to decide whether the accused should open his defence. At the last sitting the court, presided over by Justice Julius Ansah, an Appeal Court Judge sitting as an additional High Court Judge, gave a long adjournment to enable defence to act on an appeal against certain actions of the court.

Isa has pleaded not guilty and has been granted 500 million cedis bail. Defence Counsel, Mr Ambrose Dery on Thursday, May 24 filed an interlocutory appeal at the court of appeal for an order to stay proceedings in the case pending the determination of the appeal against two rulings of the trial judge.

The interlocutory appeal was against the over-ruling of a preliminary objection against the second count of fraudulently causing financial loss to the state on May 15 and the submission of no case by counsel after the prosecution closed its case on May 24.

In that submission, Mr Derry quoted extensively from the Court of Appeal Rule CI 21 of 1998 and rule 27 and 28 (IC 19) of 1997 to support his reasons why Justice Ansah must uphold his motion.

In reply to that submission, Mr Osafo Sampong, Director of Public Prosecution said any attempt by defence counsel to frustrate the trial should be resisted.