Release all prosecution documents to Opuni – Court orders AG

An Accra High Court presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga has ordered state prosecutors to furnish the lawyers of Dr. Stephen Opuni with all relevant documents that would be relied on as evidence against the accused.

This comes after Dr. Opuni’s Lawyer, Samuel Codjoe insisted that the state failed to present them with all the documents they will rely on as evidence against Dr. Opuni in the ongoing trial with no explanation from the state attorneys.

The lawyers of the accused stated that some documents they sighted at EOCO was not part of the documents presented to them. They emphasized that the state must provide them with such documents including all the letters written to COCOBOD to sole sourcing.

On June 13, the Attorney General was ordered by an Accra High Court to within seven days, give former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Dr. Stpehen Opuni all documents they will rely on as evidence against him in the ongoing trial.

This was after the Lawyers of the accused filed an application demanding access to all documents in the possession of the state prosecutors including those that may not be tendered in as evidence, and a subsequent opposition to the request by the Attorney General forced the court to put the trial on hold as it awaited a judgment from the Supreme Court on the matter.

During today’s hearing, Justice Honyenuga, asked the Lawyers of Dr. Stephen Opuni if they were furnished with all the relevant documents to which the lawyers answered no.

Even though the state insisted they presented all the documents to the accused, the presiding Judge ordered the state to contact all the relevant institution to furnish the accused with all relevant documents for the court to avoid unnecessary delays in hearing the case.

The case has been adjourned to July 9 for the trial to continue.

Dr. Opuni and Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited, are facing a total of 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretense, willfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, corruption by public officer and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

The state argues that Dr Opuni misled the Public Procurement Authority to approve single-source contracts for Seidu Agongo and Agricult to provide fertilizers at a different cost.