Confusion at Cape Coast Circuit Tribunal

Confusion erupted at a Cape Coast Circuit Tribunal last Monday, September 24, when the trial of a former NDC assistant Propaganda Secretary, Emmanuel Edumadze Essuman, was mentioned for hearing.

As soon as the accused was called into the box, a Cape Coast barrister, Mr A.C. Coleman stood up to announce his representation of the accused, even though his own counsel Mr Harry Halifax Hayford, was sitting down quietly in court.

Coleman intimated that he had come from the chambers of Messrs Barton Odro and Partners to represent the accused.

The Tribunal Chairman, Justice Asare Duah, not happy about the incident asked whether Hayford who is also the Member of Parliament for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese had withdrawn his representation from the case. Quickly, Coleman retorted that he did not realise the presence of Hayford in court even though the two of them sat so close to each other in the courtroom.

That brought Hayford to his feet to state that he has not withdrawn his service to the accused and that he is prepared to team up with his learned friend to fight a common cause of ensuring amicable settlement of the case out of court.

The accused himself who had pleaded not guilty is a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Propaganda Secretary who defected in the heat of the 2000 elections to join the NDC only to turn round to subject his former party members to brutalities. He was arrested and charged with pulling a knife with the intent to put fear of death into one Mr Kobena Musah, an NPP Youth Organiser, on October 8, last year.