Court to rule on submission for trial judge to recuse herself in Ato Forson case

An Accra High Court trying Dr Ato Forson and two others will on October 12, 2023, rule on a preliminary submission on the motion for the presiding judge to recuse herself from the case.

 Dr Forson through his Lawyer Dr Abdul Aziz Bamba told the Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe that they filed the application on June 29, 2023, asking the trial judge to recuse herself on the grounds of bias against the accused person.

Dr Bamba said the application had been brought to the Court under the inherent jurisdiction and that the trial judge was not competent to continue to hear the matter.

The Counsel said the application had to do with certain pre-juridical comments and utterances made by the judge during the process of the trial.

Dr Bamba said it raised very serious issues about the applicant’s right to fair trial.

The Court will later deal with the second leg of the motion for the release Dr Forson’s travel passport to him.

Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General, opposed the submission, saying it was unmeritorious.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has declined a request for the removal of the trial judge.

Mr Richaard Dzakpa, a Businessman and an accused in the trial filed the petition against the judge.

The petition which sought to remove the trial Judge, alleged bias on her part because of an incident which occurred during one of the Court’s sittings.

He alleged bias because the trial judge on June 20, 2023, issued a stern warning to him that it was the last time she would tolerate any disrespect from him and let him go home.

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General has ended the prosecution’s cross-examination of Alex Mould, an Expert witness for Dr Forson.

Source: GNA