The court orders the defendants in the NCA trial to open their defense

General News of Friday, May 24, 2019

Source: Ghananewsagency.org

2019-05-24

A high court in Accra on Thursday ordered Eugene Baffoe Bonnie, former chairman of the board of the National Communications Authority (NCA), to open his defense at trial.

The others are Matthew William Tetteh Tevie, the former NCA executive director, Nana Owusu Ensaw, a former board member, Alhaji Osman Mimina, former deputy national security coordinator, and George Derick Oppong, chief executive officer of the NCA. Infraclock Limited (IDL).

They should do it on May 30, 2019.

The order follows the dismissal of a motion for dismissal by the lawyers of the five defendants, when the state filed the case.

According to the court presided over by Judge Eric Kyei Baffour, the Crown was able to establish a prima facie case against all the accused.

He cited authorities and evidence presented at the hearing to support his decision, stating that the defendants, with the exception of Oppong, were public servants at the material time. alleged.

He added that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to justify the court's decision to invite the defendants to open their defense.

However, the court found four charges, namely conspiracy, intentionally causing a financial loss to the state, having used a public service for profit and intentionally misusing public goods brought to bear. Against Owusu Ensaw.

All accused are detained for deliberately causing financial losses to the state.

Other charges include: conspiracy, use of the public service for profit; theft, money laundering and intentional misapplication of public property.

They are in court for the purchase of a Pergasus machine at a cost of $ 8 million, which could not work.

All the defendants have denied the charges and are currently on bail.