NCA Trial: Court dismisses applications for stay of proceedings

An Accra High Court on Tuesday dismissed applications filed by the five defence counsel in the case involving Eugene Baffoe Bonnie, the former Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and four others.

The defence on Thursday May 30 filed for stay of proceedings pending an appeal in respect of an earlier decision in the mini trial.

The court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour said the application in respect of its ruling in the mini trial cannot be the basis to stay proceedings.

He said no exceptional circumstances have been displayed to justify why the court should stay proceedings.

The court said there was no demonstration of why the court was wrong to indicate that the defence would be successful in their appeal, and that not enough grounds have been canvassed to indicate an injustice for the accused persons to open their defence.

Earlier the parties made their respective oral presentation before the court in relations to their applications, filed earlier.

The court then adjourned the matter to June 18 for the accused persons to open their defence.

At the previous sitting, the case was adjourned for the determination of all the applications by the defence counsel.

The other accused persons are: Matthew William Tetteh Tevie, the former Director-General, NCA, Nana Owusu Ensaw, a former board member, Alhaji Osman Mimina, former Deputy National Security Coordinator and George Derick Oppong, Managing Director of Infraclock Limited (IDL).

All the accused have been charged with wilfully causing financial loss to the State.

Other charges include conspiracy, using public office for profit; stealing, money laundering and intentionally misapplying public property.

They are in court over the purchase of a Pergasus machine at a cost of 8 million dollars, which could not function.

The accused persons have denied the charges and are currently on bail.