The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie of exhibiting a “partisan disposition” and facilitating “selective justice” by issuing special warrants for two High Court judges to conduct substantive criminal trials during the legal vacation.

In a statement dated Tuesday, August 11, and signed by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, the party said it was “deeply troubled” by the Chief Justice’s defence of the warrants granted to Justices Francis Achibonga and Audrey Kocuvie-Tay.

The NPP questioned why only the two courts had been authorised to conduct full criminal trials when other vacation courts across the country were handling mainly motions and urgent interlocutory applications.

“The Chief Justice has failed to answer one simple question. Why only these two courts, and why only these cases?” the party said.

The party said the affected cases all involve persons associated with the NPP, including former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene and former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab.

The two are facing criminal proceedings over allegations including causing financial loss to the state.

The NPP argued that the decision to continue their trials during the vacation amounted to unequal treatment.

“If the vacation can pause the trial of a murder suspect, why can it not pause the trial of political opponents of the Government?” the party asked.

It described what it called “selective urgency” as evidence of an alleged agenda to incarcerate NPP personalities.

The party also compared the development to what it described as the “indecent haste” surrounding the trial and conviction of Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

The NPP said defence lawyers in the affected cases, including Zoe, Akyea & Co. and Dame & Partners, wrote to the Chief Justice on August 5 notifying him of their unavailability during the legal vacation and asking that the warrants be withdrawn.

It said the Ghana Bar Association subsequently petitioned the Chief Justice on August 10, reminding him of what it considers the established practice that Vacation Courts do not conduct substantive trials.

Despite the petitions, the warrants remain in force.

The Chief Justice has defended the arrangement, saying decisions on adjournments are matters for the courts and cannot simply be treated as administrative issues arising from the legal vacation.

The party also cited proceedings on Tuesday, August 11, in one of the affected cases, where a vacation judge reportedly adjourned proceedings for less than a week after defence counsel indicated they were unavailable.

According to the NPP, the judge directed the accused to secure new lawyers within the period or personally conduct the cross-examination of a prosecution witness.

The party said the judge indicated that he would continue sitting until the Chief Justice revoked the warrant.

The NPP invoked Article 19(2)(f) of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees an accused