The High Court in Accra has granted lawyers representing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, 24 hours to submit a medical excuse to justify his absence from court.
This order comes in connection with a GH¢ 20 million defamation suit filed by former Auditor-General, Professor Dua Agyeman, over comments Mr. Asiedu Nketia made about him in the media.
Asiedu Nketia, who has not personally appeared in court since the case began in October 2018, was scheduled to begin his defense on July 1, but failed to show up, citing illness.
When the case was called for hearing on July 3, the defense counsel informed the court that they could not present the medical excuse because the person delivering it was delayed by traffic.
The defense requested a short adjournment, explaining that the document would arrive shortly.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, presiding over the case, expressed dissatisfaction with the excuse, emphasizing that the court had managed to convene despite the weather conditions.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay instructed the defense to file the medical excuse as soon as it arrived and ordered the court clerks to receive the report first thing the next morning.
Consequently, the case has been adjourned to Friday, July 5, 2024. The judge’s decision reflects a commitment to maintaining the court’s schedule and ensuring that the defendant’s health claim is substantiated.
Professor Dua Agyeman’s defamation suit against Asiedu Nketia arises from allegations made on Neat FM, where Asiedu Nketia claimed that Agyeman produced fake audit reports, resulting in his dismissal by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG).
Agyeman contends that these allegations are baseless and have damaged his reputation. He is seeking declarations that the statements were defamatory, an injunction against further defamatory statements, a retraction and apology, and GH¢ 20 million in damages for loss of reputation.
