Accra, June 26, GNA – An Accra High Court on Wednesday adjourned to July 2 the trial involving Dr Stephen Opuni and one other to enable the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to file an attachment to a letter being demanded by the defence.
The order of the court also enjoins the prosecution to also file other documents the defence requires to proceed with its further cross-examination.
The documents to be filed by CEO of COCOBOD were duly filed on June 25, and counsels for Dr Opuni and Seidu Agongo, CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited were served with the document in court on Wednesday.
“I would further order a fresh hearing notice to be served on the CEO of PPA, to serve as a reminder to his office to file the necessary documents required from that office,” Justice Clemence Honyenugah, a Court of Appeal Judge presiding stated.
Mr Samuel Cudjoe, the Counsel for Dr Opuni told the court that at the last two adjourned dates, even though the documents were not filed, they told the court that they would proceed with their cross-examination.
He said at the last adjourned date, the prosecution filed a document but it was incomplete, as it did not have the various profiles of the companies and other relevant documents, which were part of the letter.
The Defence said in spite of that, they still continued with the cross examination based on the firm assurance by the prosecution that they would supply these documents to them before the next adjourned date.
“We will also add that, we also applied for the procurement letters from COCOBOD and PPA, particulars of which are contained in the court order,” he added.
Mr Cudjoe said they would require to study the document to enable them to represent their clients fairly.
Mrs Yvonne Atakorah Obuobisa, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said the prosecution were furnished with a copy of the letter filed by the CEO of COCOBOD on June 25, 2019.
She said this contained some of the documents to be filed by PPA and “we have, however, not received any copy from the CEO of PPA.”
Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo are facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, corruption by public officer and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GH¢300,000.00 each self-recognisance bail.
GNA
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