Stephen Opuni’s account not frozen - Lawyer

Reports that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has secured a court order to once again freeze the accounts of former Cocobod chief executive have been dismissed by a member of his legal team.

“Nothing of that sort has happened; it would be a bit bizarre for an order freezing the accounts again,” Edudzi Tamakloe told TV3 Midday Live on Wednesday.

The former CEO of Cocobod Dr. Stephen Opuni is standing trial together with the Managing Director of Agricult Ghana Limited, Seidu Agongo for allegedly contravening the Public Procurement Act and causing financial loss to the state among other charges. They are on GH¢300,000 self-recognizance bail.

The Accra High Court on Monday ordered the EOCO to release the bank accounts of the former Cobobod CEO with Standard Chartered Bank Limited and Ecobank Ghana Limited that were frozen per a court order in February 2017 with immediate effect.

But a section of the media reported on Wednesday that the anti-graft body has once again frozen them per an order it got from court on Monday, just hours after sanction on the accounts were lifted.

Edudzi Tamakloe is surprised a court will give such directive barely a day after Dr. Opuni was granted access to his accounts.

He noted that in court on Monday, lawyers for EOCO told the court they will not oppose the application to get the ban on the accounts lifted.

“We filed the application on 13th of April, which was Friday, and EOCO was served on Monday 16th April and up to 23rd they never served protest in opposition,” Mr. Tamakloe pointed out.

“I am just thinking what could be the legal basis that the judge or court will grant that order,” he wondered.