NCA trial adjourned to June 4

An Accra High Court, on Thursday adjourned to June 4, the case involving Eugene Baffoe Bonnie, the former Board Chair of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and four others.

The court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour said it had seen applications filed by parties for the defence counsel.

The court said defence counsel have filed for stay of proceedings pending an appeal in respect of an earlier decision in the mini trial, as well as a motion for stay of proceedings.

Madam Yvonne Attakora Buobisa, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Attorney General Department, however told the court that her outfit have not been served with the applications.

The court at this point adjourned the matter to June 4, for the determination of all the applications by the defence counsel.

The court later observed that some gestures by counsel for the accused persons while reading its ruling on the submission of no case, at the last sitting, saying that if any party was dissatisfied with a decision by the court, the right thing to do was to file and not behave in ways that were contrary to the rules of court.

The court sounded a warning to all parties that such an act should never repeat itself again as the court would not take kindly to such acts.

At the previous sitting, the court ordered the accused persons to open their defence following the dismissal of a submission of no case filed by lawyers of the five accused persons, when the State closed it case.

The others 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.