An Accra High Court presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga, has ordered the Attorney General's Department to provide all documents she intends to rely on in prosecuting former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo, to their lawyers.
Counsel for Dr Stephen Opuni and Businessman Seidu Agongo earlier filed a motion at the High Court requesting copies of 13 documents that the prosecution intends using against him in the GH¢ 217 million financial loss case.
Dr Opuni’s lawyers prayed the court to make the Attorney-General (A-G) hand over all the documents the prosecution will rely on, including names of witnesses and all other files including those that will not be tendered in as evidence be handed over to them.
During Monday's hearing, Justice Honyenuga adjourned the hearing to Wednesday 13 June to receive the certified Supreme Court (SC) ruling to decide which specific documents should be handed over to Opuni’s lawyers before the trial begins.
Giving the verdict on the matter on Wednesday June 13, 2018, Justice Honyenuga ordered the AG to furnish the defence lawyers with the documents within seven days.
The case has been adjourned to July 4.
Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo are facing 27 charges of willfully causing financial loss of GHS217 million to the state, through three separate fertiliser supply contracts between 2014 and 2016.
The contracts were GHS43.1million (2013/2014 cocoa farming season), GHS75.3million (2014/2015 cocoa farming season) and GHS98.9million (2015/2016 cocoa farming season) totaling GHS217million through sole-sourcing, the state claimed, adding that procurement procedures for sole-sourcing were not followed.