The High Court in Accra has mandated that lawyers representing National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah file a medical excuse within 24 hours, explaining why their client failed to appear in court to defend himself in a GHS20 million defamation lawsuit.
The case, brought by former Auditor-General Professor Dua Agyeman, centers on statements made by Mr. Asiedu Nketiah in the media. He alleged that Prof. Dua Agyeman had produced fake audit reports, which resulted in his dismissal by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG). Since the commencement of the case in October 2018, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah has not made a court appearance. He was scheduled to open his defense on Monday, July 1, 2024, but was absent due to illness.
Presiding Judge Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay has directed Mr. Asiedu Nketiah’s legal team to submit a medical excuse within 24 hours to validate their claim of illness.
In response to the court’s directive, Prof. Dua Agyeman expressed his frustration, stating, “That is what they do. They lie and then run away from their lies.”