Opuni floors Attorney General in court over pretrial disclosure demands

A High Court in Accra has ordered the Attorney General’s Department to furnish Dr Stephen Opuni and Siedu Agongo within seven days all documents in its possession that would be relied on in their trial.

The two accused persons relied on Article 19(2) (e)and (g) and requested the AG to provide them all documents including those it will not rely on in the course of the trial.

According to the judge, Justice Clemence Honyenugah, the Supreme Court’s ruling on a similar case needs no interpretation.

The judge stressed the development will enable the accused persons to prepare their defence.

The case has been adjourned to July 4 for the trial to commence.

Dr. Opuni’s accounts were frozen in February 2017 at the behest of EOCO, which is investigating him since he was axed from the office when President Akufo-Addo took office.

He and businessman Seidu Agongo are facing charges for alleged financial malfeasance in the execution of some contracts at COCOBOD. They have been granted self-recognizance bail in the sum of GHc300, 000 each.

Background

In a Republic of Ghana suit signed by Evelyn D. Keelson, Chief Attorney, (No CR158/2018) titled the ‘The Republic v Stephen Kwabena Opuni,’ the former Chief Executive of COCOBOD is accused of defrauding the state with false pretenses contrary to Section 20 (1) and (131) 1 of the Criminal Offenses Act, 1960 (Act 29).

He is equally charged with corruption by public officer contrary to Section 239 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). The particulars are that Stephen Opuni, on October 10, 2014, in Accra, agreed to permit his conduct as Chief Executive of COCOBOD to be influenced by an amount GHC 25,000 from Seidu Agongo.