Lawyers representing Cecilia Dapaah have accused the Office of the Special Prosecutor of showing disrespect to the court in their handling of the petition to have Justice Edward Twum removed from the case.

On a scheduled court date, lawyers from the Office of the Special Prosecutor were absent on Thursday. Their absence was particularly notable as they were supposed to present an application for the confirmation of seizure and freezing orders, as well as initiate proceedings related to the charges of refusal to declare assets against Cecilia Dapaah.

The judge presiding over the case was left with no choice but to adjourn the proceedings to a later date, pending a response from the Chief Justice regarding the request to remove him from the case.

The request is grounded on the OSP’s well-founded belief that Justice Edward Twum appears to be highly prejudiced against the OSP and the person of the Special Prosecutor.

This development did not sit well with Cecilia Dapaah's legal team, who expressed their disappointment in the Office of the Special Prosecutor for failing to notify them about the petition.

Victoria Barth indicated in court that “I am not aware of any law or rule of procedure that dispenses with the absence of a lawyer or prosecutor just because they have petitioned the Chief Justice in respect of a matter of which they have due notice and have even initiated.”

She insisted in court that the office of the special prosecutor has not treated the court with respect and fairness.

“As lawyers, we have an ethical duty to show respect to the court and to treat all persons we engage in the administration of justice fairly and that has not happened today. The OSP is not above the law,” Victoria Barth said in court.

They characterized the petition as a deliberate strategy aimed at obstructing the morning's scheduled hearing for the confirmation application, and as an attempt to evade responsibility for their own flawed application.

Furthermore, the court was unable to proceed with the case against the former sanitation minister, who was charged with refusing to declare her assets. This was due to the absence of lawyers from the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which was a result of the ongoing petition to disqualify the judge from any of their cases.

Cecilia Dapaah's legal representatives also raised concerns about the decision of the Office of the Special Prosecutor's lawyers to abstain from court proceedings.