The Supreme Court of Ghana has rendered a verdict dismissing an application filed by Dr. Stephen Opuni, invoking the inherent jurisdiction of the court to restrain the trial judge overseeing his case.
Dr. Opuni alleged persistent acts of bias on the part of the trial judge and argued that without intervention, a fair trial would be compromised.
In his statement of claim, Dr. Opuni contended that the trial judge had already taken a position in the matter under adjudication, creating a potential for unfair treatment. The case involves the former Ghana Cocobod CEO, Seidu Agongo, and the Managing Director of Agricult Ghana Limited, who are facing charges related to procurement breaches and causing financial loss to the state in a fertilizer deal.
Dr. Opuni revealed a key concern, stating that the proceedings adopted by the High Court on July 25, 2023, were not made available to his legal team. He emphasized his lack of knowledge about the content of that day’s proceedings, except for a document waived by the judge.
Chief State Attorney, Evelyn Keelson, opposed Dr. Opuni’s application, asserting that he failed to raise credible issues of bias. Keelson highlighted that the judge had directed all parties to apply for the proceedings, and Dr. Opuni did not comply. The Chief State Attorney further argued that the applicant did not properly invoke the Supreme Court’s inherent jurisdiction to prohibit the trial court judge, leading to the court’s dismissal of the application.
