This is no case for junior lawyers – Atta Akyea Explains Why He Must Defend Adu-Boahene

Lawyer for former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahen, Samuel Atta Akyea, says the trial involving his client presents an unprecedented challenge because national security matters have historically not been subjected to open court proceedings. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, Mr Atta Akyea said the case requires his personal involvement because of the sensitive national security issues at stake. “I mean to come to terms with a case that since Guggisberg time or the Gold Coast, a national security matter has never been a subject matter of an open trial, you think it’s a small case that we are doing,” he said.

He argued that the proceedings could set a significant precedent for how Ghana handles national security matters in the courts. “Dangerous president that, because of one man, let’s cancel the whole of the submarine tactics of national security and put national security on trial,” he said. Mr Atta Akyea maintained that the case is too significant for him to delegate entirely to a junior lawyer in his chamber.

“I don’t think a junior, I mean, will be able to face such an unprecedented case coming from the Attorney General, so I couldn’t cede space to a junior to go and do this job for my client. His comments came as he also criticised what he described as selective justice in the handling of cases before the courts. He questioned why some cases were being prioritised while murder, manslaughter, rape and other criminal cases remained pending.

“I keep asking why this selective justice is the Chief Justice trying to force on us?” he asked. “All the murder cases, all the man-slaughter cases, all the rape cases and other criminal cases, that have happened does not have consequence at all,” he said. According to him, the decision to expedite particular cases should not undermine established court procedures and practices.

I’m not a little boy in the game for me to use one case to cancel the traditions, the practices, and the statutory provisions of Ghana,” he said. He also questioned why judges who had already begun hearing some cases should be directed to continue with them, despite other demands on lawyers appearing before them. “So part-heard cases should continue, and these are without the reference to the programs of the lawyers, whether the lawyers who go …

According to the former Energy Minister, Adu-Boahene needs his experience and “gravitas” to navigate what he considers an unprecedented national security case. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, Mr Atta Akyea rejected suggestions that lawyers in his chamber could represent him in the ongoing case. “Well, the case is not for junior lawyers to handle.