Court to rule on Opuni’s request for records June 14

The Court of Appeal will on June 14, gives its ruling on an application made by former Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Dr Stephen Opuni, and businessman, Seidu Agongo.

The two accused persons, who are on trial for allegedly engaging in illegalities in a series of fertilizer transactions, have prayed to the court for an order directed at the Registrar of the High Court(Criminal Division) to transmit the full records of the proceedings.

Subsequent to the retirement of Justice Clemence Honyenuga, the case was transferred to a new judge, Justice Kwasi Anokye Gyimah who made a ruling for the case to be started afresh.

This position was however opposed by the Attorney General who has thus filed an appeal arguing among others that the above ruling has occasioned a great miscarriage of justice and will affect the efficient trial of the accused persons.

However before the case would be heard, Samuel Cudjoe, counsel for the first accused, in an oral application, noted that the records before the court have missing pages thus behoves on the Registrar to ensure that the entire records are placed before the court.

This was supported by counsel for the second accused who noted that such an incomplete record will not allow the court to do justice.

On his part, the Attorney General, Godfred Dame disagreed with the above noting that the application was unsupported by any rule of procedure before the court.

Additionally, he challenged the respondents to demonstrate how the omission of 25 pages out of 4000 pages would materially disable them from contesting the appeal.

Also, Mr. Dame emphasized that the subject matter of the appeal is the determination of the question of whether the trial ought to commence afresh or the trial judge ought to adopt the proceedings.

After listening to both sides, the court presided over by Justice Bright Mensah and assisted by  Justices Jennifer Dadzie and Ernest Owusu-Dapaa adjourned to June 14 for the ruling.