Dr Stephen Opuni
The trial of the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, has been adjourned to June 11, 2018 by an Accra high court.
The former COCOBOD boss, together with the Managing Director of Agricult Ghana Limited, Seidu Agongo, have been hauled to court by the Attorney General’s Department for causing financial loss to the state to the tune of GH¢217,370,289.22.
The presiding judge had adjourned the matter to yesterday, April 30, 2018, when Dr. Opuni’s lawyers requested the court to refer the interpretation of Article 19 Clause 2 G and E to the Supreme Court to determine whether he deserves to be given prosecution documents days ahead of the sitting.
The court’s adjournment was informed by the fact that a similar motion is before the apex court involving some former officials of the National Communications Authority (NCA), who have also been accused of causing US$4 million financial loss to the state.
In view of the fact that the Supreme Court has set June 7, 2018 to rule on the motion, the court hearing Dr. Opuni’s case subsequently adjourned the trial to June 11, by which time the Article would have been interpreted.
Dr Opuni and Mr. Seidu Agongo are facing a total of 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretence, willfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, corruption by public officers and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
They have been granted a GH¢300,000 each self-recognizance bail by the court, presided over by Justice Jackson Clemence Honyegah, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional high court judge, after they pleaded not guilty to all the 27 charges proffered against them.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has once again frozen Dr. Opuni’s bank accounts to “prevent the respondent (Dr. Opuni) from rendering the outcome of the trial nugatory and to prevent the funds in the stated accounts of respondent (Dr. Opuni) from being dissipated.”
BY Gibril Abdul Razak