The High Court in Accra has given lawyers for National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia 24 hours to file a medical excuse duty, justifying why their client failed to appear in court to defend himself in a GHS20 million defamation case.

The lawsuit, filed by former Auditor-General Professor Dua Agyeman, concerns statements made by Mr. Asiedu Nketia in the media, alleging that Prof. Dua Agyeman generated fake audit reports, which led to his dismissal by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG).

Mr. Asiedu Nketia, who has not appeared in court since the case commenced in October 2018, was scheduled to open his defence on Monday, 1 July 2024. However, he failed to show up, citing illness.

Presiding Judge Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay has ordered his lawyers to produce a medical excuse duty within 24 hours to substantiate their claim.

Following the court's directive, Prof. Dua Agyeman remarked: "That is what they do. They lie and then run away from their lies."