Proceedings in the criminal trial involving two public officials accused of allegedly selling recruitment opportunities within the Ghana Education Service (GES) have been adjourned to June 18, 2026, following legal objections raised by defence counsel over the mandate of the prosecuting authority.

The case, being prosecuted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), came up before the court for the commencement of trial when lawyers for the accused persons made an oral, or viva voce, submission challenging an earlier High Court ruling delivered by Justice Eugene Nyante Nyadu.

According to the defence, the submission questioned the legal authority of the prosecuting body in relation to the conduct of prosecutions.

The objection formed part of broader legal arguments concerning prosecutorial powers and constitutional interpretation.

However, counsel for the prosecution opposed the oral application and argued that any challenge to the prosecuting authority must be properly filed before the court in accordance with established legal procedures.

The prosecution further informed the court that an appeal had already been filed, together with an application for a stay of proceedings pending the outcome of the appeal.

In its ruling, the court held that although the issue raised by defence counsel concerned a matter of law, the proper procedural channels had not been followed.

The judge observed that the factual basis underlying the earlier High Court ruling was not before the court and therefore could not properly be considered through oral submissions alone.

The court further stated that it lacked jurisdiction to interpret the Constitution in the manner proposed by the defence.

“The issue raised is one of law, but counsel must approach the court through the proper procedural channel,” the court indicated in its ruling.

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The matter was subsequently adjourned to June 18, 2026, for case management directions, with the court noting that the Supreme Court is expected to have determined the pending issue by that date.

Background

The case centres on allegations that Ibrahim Kofi Sessah, a 30-year-old technician with the Local Government Service, and his alleged accomplice, Anthony Gyasi, an Information Technology officer at the Ghana Education Service, fraudulently sold teaching recruitment opportunities to unsuspecting members of the public.

According to earlier court proceedings, the accused persons are alleged to have collected approximately GH¢580,000 from about 100 victims through the sale of purported GES recruitment forms and promises of employment within the education sector.

Prosecutors allege that the accused persons used their positions and access within public institutions for personal financial gain.

The charges against them include using public office for profit and other alleged financial misconduct-related offences.

Sessah previously appeared before the Financial and Economic Division of the Accra High Court, where he pleaded not guilty to three charges brought against him. The court subsequently granted him bail pending trial.

The alleged scheme reportedly targeted individuals seeking employment opportunities within the Ghana Education Service at a time of high unemployment and increasing demand for public sector jobs.