Prosecutor asks Opuni lawyer for documents before cross-examination

General News on Thursday, May 30, 2019

Source: 3news.com

2019-05-30

State prosecutors in the case of former COCOBOD director Stephen Opuni are asking for documents on which the defense team intends to rely during the cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses.

Ms. Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, Director of Public Prosecutions, said Tuesday in the High Court of Accra that her application would facilitate the proceedings, especially when the defense attorney wishes to file these documents in evidence.

Defense counsel Samuel Cudjoe submitted his offer through the third Prosecution witness, Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah, discrediting the witness as "lying" on sole-sourcing issues. .

Dr. Adu-Ampomah testified in the lawsuit involving former chief executive of COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo.

The two defendants were charged with 27 counts, including those who deliberately caused a financial loss to the state, an offense under the Public Procurement Act, fraud under false pretenses, money laundering. money and bribery of a public official.

As soon as the defense attorney showed signs of willingness to produce other documents, Ms. Atakora Obuobisa rose and prayed the court that, since the prosecution had handed over to accused all documents on which it supported, the accused should also do so. even.

"Monseigneur joins the cause of Judge Eugénie Baffoe Bonnie, it is only fair that the defense provide us, like us, all the documents they wish to present. It is only fair that they provide us with all the documents on which they want to rely. It is to facilitate the trial, "she said.

But Samuel Cudjoe rejected the plea and asked the DPP to make a formal request in order to be able to respond appropriately, wondering if it was even appropriate for the accused to provide the prosecution with documents even before he starts his defense.

He noted that the documents requested in advance by the prosecution came from his side, the COCOBOD.

"Want to find your own documents? These are documents that emanate from them. You can not tell us to give you what you have written, "he said.

The prosecution then threatened that if the request was not satisfied, it would request that the case be "closed" so that it could "talk" with the witness at any time the defense wishes to file any document.

This, she argued, was necessary "so that we would not be caught off guard".

But Samuel Cudjoe insisted that the documents requested by the prosecution were documents that the witness had written or copied, and admitted to being aware of them.

Judge Clemence Honyenuga, a judge of first instance, was obliged to intervene and asked the prosecution to formalize her request, stating that "if we submit the request, we will examine it" .