Opuni trial adjourned to July 4; AG ordered to furnish lawyers with documents

An Accra High Court has adjourned the trial of former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Dr Stephen Opuni and colleague businessman, Seidu Agongo to Wednesday, July 4, 2018.

Presiding judge Justice Clemence Honyenuga has ordered the Attorney General, Justice Gloria Akuffo, to furnish the lawyers of the accused persons with documents that she intends to rely on in her prosecution, within seven (7) days.

The counsel for the two accused persons had requested for the documents to assist them in the defence of the clients.

Background

Dr Stephen Opuni and Seidu Agongo are facing 27 charges of willfully causing financial loss of GHC 217 million to the state, through three separate fertilizer supply contracts between 2014 and 2016.

The contracts were GHC 43.1 million (2013/2014 cocoa farming season), GHC 75.3 million (2014/2015 cocoa farming season) and GHC 98.9 million (2015/2016 cocoa farming season) totalling GHC 217 million through sole-sourcing, the state claimed, adding that procurement procedures for sole-sourcing were not followed.

The two were granted self-recognizance bail in the sum of GHC300, 000 each.

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.