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COCOBOD case: Opuni’s Fate, Edudzi's D-day



Former Chief Executive of COCOBOD Dr. Stephen Opuni and Managing Director Agricult Ghana Limited Seidu Agongo would be watching proceedings of the case at the Supreme Court for the interpretation of Article 19(2) (e) & (g) with crossed fingers because of the impact it would have on their case.

This is after the Court hearing criminal proceedings against them withheld its decision on an application demanding for documents key to their case until after the Supreme Court makes a decision on the said provision in the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

The lawyers for Dr. Opuni led by Samuel Codjoe were demanding for 13 different documentations covering facts that were included in the writ filed by the Attorney General.
The documents ranged from witness statements of the 2nd and 3rd accused persons and that of the prosecution, all fertilizer supply contracts signed between 2008 and 2018, alleged correspondences between Dr. Opuni and officers of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana directing the shortening of the testing period of lithovit foliar fertilizer supplied by Agricult and that with the Public Procurement misleading the authority to approve the sole sourcing of the supply contract granted Agricult.
Moving the application today, Samuel Codjoe argued that even though some of the documents pertain to alleged acts undertaken by his client, he does not have copies of them because he acted in his official and not privately.

He said the application for the documents is backed by Article 19(2) (e) & (g) of the 1992 constitution.

The said provision of the constitution states

(2) A person charged with a criminal offence shall –
(e) be given adequate time and facilities for the preparation of this defence;
(g) be afforded facilities to examine, in person or by his lawyer, the witnesses called by the prosecution before the court, and to obtain the attendance and carry out the examination of witnesses to testify on the same conditions as those applicable to witnesses called by the prosecution;  

Samuel Codjoe argued that the documents form part of the “facilities” the constitution entitles the accused persons to.

He said the refusal to provide the accused persons with these documents would amount to denying them a constitutionally guaranteed right and make it difficult for them to defend themselves.
Samuel Codjoe also sought to use the opposition to the application to urge the court to refer the matter to the Supreme Court.

Responding to the application, a Deputy Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame was of the opinion that referring the matter to the Supreme Court would be out of place because the application was not backed by any rule of law or procedure.

He described the application as unfounded and hinged on irrelevant considerations.

The deputy AG argued that majority of the documents the Dr. Opuni was asking of were irrelevant to the case.

He however indicated that his outfit is ready to furnish the accused persons with the documents they consider relevant case.

Despite the strong opposition of the AG to the application, the Presiding Judge Justice Clemence Honyenuga was of the opinion that deciding on the application may be a slap in the face of the Supreme Court.

Even though he declined the invitation to refer the matter to the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal Judge who was sitting as an additional High Court Judge was of the opinion that the decision of the highest court of the land on Article 19(2) (e) & (g) would be binding on him.

Justice Clemence Honyenuga therefore adjourned his decision on the application to April 30, 2018 to await the decision of the Supreme Court.

It would be recalled that a High Court Judge Justice Eric Kyei Baffour referred Article 19(2) (e) & (g) to the Supreme Court for interpretation after it became a bone of contention in the case against a former Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority and 4 others.

The decision of Justice Honyenuga means the fate of Dr. Opuni’s application is in the hands of the Supreme Court.

Perhaps the former COCOBOD CEO can find solace in the fact that one of the lawyers who retain an interest in the case, Edudzi Kudzo Tamakloe may be the one to argue for the supply of documents to accused persons whiles his lawyer Samuel Cudjoe would also be arguing for the motion when the Supreme Court hears the matter.       


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