Court adjourns Opuni case over electric system failure

The Criminal Court 1 Division of the High Court hearing the Stephen Opuni case failed to sit due to system failure.

The Court, presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga of the Supreme Court as an additional High Court Judge, was due to sit for a continuation of the evidence-in-chief of former COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni.

Justice Honyenuga, however, announced to the packed courtroom that the electronic system on which the court operated was down.

He said the system failure had affected the entire first floor of the High Court Complex and cases scheduled for the day either had to be stood down pending a rectification, or be adjourned.

He subsequently adjourned the case to January 17, 2022.

Justice Honynuga, before adjourning, however, disclosed that two of the three accused persons, Seidu Agongo and Agricult Limited, had filed an application before him to be heard on January 21, 2022.

The form and substance of same he did not disclose.

Similarly, lawyers for Dr. Opuni also disclosed that they had invoked the supervisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for a certiorari.

Dr. Stephen Opuni and businessman, Seidu Agongo, are standing trial for allegedly causing GH¢217 million financial loss to the state.

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 officers, and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.