February 21, 2011

The Accra Fast Track High Court trying the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central on his nationality status Friday adjourned the case following a request made to that effect by counsel for the MP, Mr. Yonni Kulendi, for time for the prosecutor to recover from his ailment.

Mr Kulendi told the court that the prosecutor, Mr. Anthony Rexford Wiredu, was fatigued, unwell, had a hoarse voice ‘ and needed enough time to convalesce.

Mr. Wiredu, a Principal State Attorney, who was in court, did indeed look unwell and worn out and did not utter a word during the proceedings except to introduce himself and the two other state attorneys who were with him.

Mr Kulendi noted that many lawyers died unexpectedly because of the pressures of the job and lack of time to rest and recover from ailments.

Consequently, the court, presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist, adjourned the case to March 4, 2011 to enable the prosecutor to recover fully from his ailment.

Mr Justice Quist said he had observed that Mr Wiredu was, indeed, unwell and the court needed to give him enough time to recover

“Therefore all cases involving Mr Wiredu in this court are adjourned to Friday March 4,” he said.
The state of Mr Wiredu’s health has led to more than one adjournment in the past.

At an earlier sitting on January 17, 2011, a representative from the Attorney- General’s Office had informed the court that Mr Wiredu had been rushed to hospital due to ill-health, for which reason he could not make it to court.

The MP, Adamu Daramani Sakande, was on July 31, 2009, arraigned before the court, charged with nine counts relating to his nationality, perjury, forgery of passport, election fraud and deceiving public officers to be elected as MP. But he was exonerated on six of those charges on July 8, 2010.

He is currently facing three charges of false declaration of office, perjury and deceiving a public officer.

Source: Daily Graphic