The High Court in Accra has dismissed an application by lawyers for Gifty Oware Aboagye Mensah seeking to halt proceedings in the ongoing National Service Scheme (NSS) scandal trial.
The rejection came on Monday, May 11, 2026, at the Criminal Division 4 of the High Court, where the trial was scheduled to hear evidence from the first prosecution witness.
Defence counsel Gary Nimako Marfo urged the court to suspend proceedings because his client had filed an application at the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of part of a 2018 practice direction issued by the Chief Justice.
The challenge relates to an earlier order by the trial court directing the accused to file the names and addresses of her defence witnesses. Counsel said an application for stay of proceedings was filed at the Supreme Court on Friday, May 8, 2026, and had allegedly been served on the Attorney-General and the registrar of the High Court.
However, the trial judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, directed the court clerk to verify with the registrar whether any such process had been served. The clerk reported that no application had been received by the registrar.
The prosecution strongly opposed the oral application for stay, arguing that the mere filing of a case at the Supreme Court does not automatically stop proceedings at the High Court.
After listening to both sides, Justice Kocuvie-Tay ruled that the High Court could not be restrained by the filing of an application at the Supreme Court unless a specific order directing a stay was issued by the apex court.
The court has therefore adjourned proceedings to Monday, May 18, 2026, when the prosecution is expected to continue leading evidence-in-chief from its first witness.