Samuel Atta Akyea, lead counsel for former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahen, has boldly stated that he will not appear before the court after the presiding judge, through his clients, gave him a six-day ultimatum to show up.

One may recall that Adu-Boahen, on August 11, 2026, appeared before an Accra High Court where the presiding judge, Francis Apangabuno Achibonga, gave him and his wife, Angela Adjei-Boateng, a six-day ultimatum to provide legal representation or conduct the cross-examination of the fourth prosecution witness themselves.

Following the ruling from the High Court, Samuel Atta Akyea, in an interview on TV3 monitored by GhanaWeb on August 11, 2026, stated that he would not comply with the directive.

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According to him, it is within his legal rights to go on legal vacation and, therefore, he will not appear in court at the next sitting.

He further questioned the Chief Justice and the judge presiding over Adu-Boahen’s case on the distinction between a criminal case and a murder case, arguing that there was nothing special about his client’s case to prevent him from enjoying his legal vacation.

“Who tells you I'm not in a hurry to clear my client's name? I told you that the whole year, when was the time that I said I won't come to court, and you believe that I shouldn't have my vacation as the CJ is having his vacation? What is the meaning of legal vacation? If you want to go and read the law, go and pay regard to Order 79, and Order 79 decrees legal vacation.

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“What is the meaning of legal vacation? What is special between a murder case and Kwabena Adu-Boahen's case? You think we can't question discretionary powers and administrative decisions? They are all embedded in the position,” he said.

Samuel Atta Akyea also took a swipe at the presiding judge, questioning the motive behind Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga's decision to rule that Adu-Boahen would have to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses if he, Atta Akyea, failed to appear in court.

“I'm not going to court at all. Why should a judge, in a very technical case of this nature, when a lawyer is on vacation, go and find another lawyer by saying that you come and stand there and cross-examine?

“How can a layperson cross-examine in such a matter? You are asking a carpenter to go and do surgery. What is special about this case? Some of these things you are failing to answer, and I know they can't answer. What is special about these cases?” he asked.

Watch the video below:

Adu-Boahene 6-day Ultimatum: 'I am not going to court at all! Why should I go to court? What is the meaning of legal vacation, and what is special about these cases?' – Samuel Atta Akyea, Lead Defence Counsel for Adu Boahene#DailyBrief #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/0TF7xcYzL4

— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) August 11, 2026