Signals Bureau case: ‘We were battle-ready’ – Atta Akyea fires at AG over absence of prosecution team

Counsel for former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene, Samuel Atta Akyea, has criticised the Attorney-General’s Office after the prosecution team failed to appear in court to continue cross-examination.

The case was adjourned to September 8 after the prosecution was unable to proceed with the cross-examination.

The development comes a day after Mr Atta Akyea had expressed enthusiasm about an additional day granted by the Accra High Court to allow him to further cross-examine the fourth prosecution witness.

He had indicated that he had about 60 questions prepared for the witness but would reduce them to 40 following a three-hour limit imposed by the court.

According to the lawyer, the extra day was necessary to ensure that all relevant areas of the witness’s testimony were adequately covered.

However, appearing in court on Wednesday, September 2, Mr Atta Akyea said he was surprised that no representative from the Attorney-General’s Office was available to continue the proceedings.

“I was surprised that no single human being from the Attorney-General’s Office was able to come for the cross-examination to continue. We were battle-ready, but they, who are on an ambulance mode to prosecute this case, did not show up.”

Mr Atta Akyea said although the Attorney-General’s absence was explained by his appearance before the Supreme Court on another matter, the prosecution should have anticipated the clash and requested a different date.

He argued that the failure to do so feeds into what he described as an “ambulance mode” in the prosecution of the case, suggesting that the prosecution has consistently sought to expedite proceedings.

The court subsequently adjourned the case to September 8.

Mr Atta Akyea maintained that the defence was prepared to proceed and had expected to make use of the additional time granted by the court to complete its cross-examination.