The High Court adjudicating the criminal case against the founder of defunct Capital Bank, William Ato Essien has temporarily suspended the hearing.

This is to enable it to wait for the Court of Appeal to pronounce an earlier ruling on May 23.

The Court had earlier rejected an application from the defendant to suspend the proceedings in view of a pending appeal against its decision to admit unsigned documents into evidence.

However, the Lawyer for Mr. Ato Essien, Baffuor Gyau Bonsu Ashia, told the Court that the processes were filed on Wednesday, May 4, with the Court of Appeal expected to hear the matter on May 23.

With this information, the lawyer urged the trial court to adjourn and await the ruling of the court.

Even though, the trial judge, Justice Eric Kyei Baffour (JA) said he did not find any clear provisions in the rules of the court whether civil or criminal proceedings that precluded the court from proceeding with the trial since an application for a stay of proceedings at the appellate court could not operate as the stay of proceedings itself.

However, his Lordship exercised the court’s discretion to temporarily suspend the hearings.

The court has subsequently adjourned to Wednesday, May 25, to abide by the decision of the Court of Appeal.