The Supreme Court has granted a stay of proceedings at the High Court trying former government officials for their alleged roles in the liquidation of Ghana Airways. The former officials applied to the Court of Appeal following the refusal of the trial court to stay proceedings to enable counsel for the defendants to seek the Supreme Court's interpretation of some legal provisions on pre-trial disclosures. The five are Dr. Richard Anane, former Minister of Transport; Anthony Akoto Osei, former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning; Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani, former Chief of Staff, Professor Gyan Baffour, former Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Samuel Crabbe, former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party. The defence team had requested for a stay of proceedings at the high court after the trial judge ruled against their request for the prosecution to furnish them with all the documents the prosecution was going to rely on. This they argued was necessary for a fair trial and for adequate defence of the accused. The defence claims the prosecution’s refusal to provide them with documents to be employed in the prosecution of their clients fly in the face of constitutional provisions on pre-trial disclosures and attempted to seek the Supreme Court’s interpretation on the matter. They were however stopped by the trial judge. Today, however, the Appeals Court granted the stay of proceedings pending its hearing of the merits of the decision to proceed to the Supreme Court. Source: Joy News/Ghana