The Abeka District court has set 26 July 2017 to deliver judgment on the Marwako case in which a supervisor at the eatery Jihad Chaaban allegedly immersed the face of a kitchen staff, Evelyn Boakye, into a paste of pepper as punishment.

Ms Boakye dragged her Lebanese supervisor to court after the incident.

At Thursday’s hearing, judge Victoria Afua Guansah told the accused to tell his lawyer, Julio Demederious – who was out of the jurisdiction of the court – that the case would continue with or without him.

Mr Chaaban, who has always insisted during the trial that he could not speak English, a situation that necessitated the services of an Arabic interpreter, however, prayed the court in English for an adjournment of the hearing but the judge declined.

Surprised to hear Mr Chaaban speak English, the judge asked: "Can you speak English?"

The entire court burst into laughter subsequently.