The Chief Justice, Georgina Wood, has directed that Jus­tice G K. Koomson who initially sat on the case which was adjourned 78 times at the Akim Swedru circuit court should be brought down from Wa to deal with the case. Justice G.K. Koomson, now a High Court Judge, sat on the case as a circuit court judge. He has been tasked to deal with the case on a day-to-day basis and deliver judgment by July 31, 2009. A letter written by the Judicial Secretary, Justice A.B. Poku Acheampong, to the Editor of the Ghanaian Times on July 7, 2009 thanked "Perfector of Sentiment (POS) Foundation, an Accra-based human rights NGO, for bringing the excessive ad­journments to the fore." The letter said the case, "The Republic Vrs John Abotsi and two others", was commenced in 2001. It said the accused persons absconded at a stage and the judge issued a bench warrant for their arrest. At that point, the judge had no option but to adjourn the case sine die (indefinitely) for the police to re-arrest the three suspects. The letter explained further that, Justice Koomson was pro­moted a High Court Judge in 2008 and posted to the Wa High Court. He said Justice Kofi Akrowiah took over the case on March 12, 2009, and on that day, the second accused person was brought to court on bench warrant and he was remanded. According to the letter the accused person was granted bail on May 9, 2009 at the request of the police who said they needed him for further investigations and that, he should be reporting once a week. Meanwhile, the Judicial Secretary has said the charge brought against the accused persons was that of causing unlawful harm and not attempted murder. On Monday, the Ghanaian Times published that this par­ticular case, which had been pending at the Akim Swedru Circuit Court for the past nine years, had been adjourned 78 times. The publication was prompted by an interview the Times granted Jonathan Osei Owusu, Executive Director of POS, who brought the matter out. Mr. Owusu said the prosecutor handling the case had retired from the Police Service, and the first judge transferred. The foundation said it feared that, the new prosecutor handling the case may retire or be transferred before justice is dispensed. Mr. Owusu, therefore, appealed to the Chief Justice and the Com­mission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to intervene to ensure that justice was done stressing that, "the continued delay might have dire consequences on the case, particularly on the 20-year old victim, Godwin Manormawusi." He explained that the incident occurred in 1997 and was reported to the police in 2000 after the victim had spent three years at the hospital. According to Mr. Owusu, the victim was alleged to have been hit with a cement block at the waist by his father and his elder brother, with the assistance of two other men in an attempt to kill him for ritual purposes, but he was saved by his mother who sent him to hospital. Mr. Owusu said since the incident, the victim could no more sit on his buttocks or sleep on his back and had to commute between Accra and Akim Oda to attend court hearings. Source: Ghanaian Times