Court dismisses Opuni’s application to defreeze his bank accounts

An Accra High Court has dismissed an application by former CEO of COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Opuni demanding defreeze of his accounts by the Economic and Organised Crime Office, EOCO.

EOCO had writen to the banks in question, Standard Chartered Bank and Ecobank, not to allow Mr Opuni access to his money, a day after a Court had directed the acounts to be released. 

Presiding Judge, Georgina Mensah-Datsa, dismissing the application said EOCO is duty bound to protect state funds. 

This she indicated needs to balance individual rights and that of the State, addiding that EOCO could have avoided the back and forth with the Court, if it had followed the Act which established it. 

Dr Opuni's accounts were frozen in February last year at the behest of EOCO following investigations into some contracts he allegedly signed during his tenure, as well as purported financial irregularities uncovered. 

The probe is centered on supposed fraudulent multi-million dollar contracts he is believed to have signed before leaving office. 

He has been hauled to court together with the Managing Director of Agricult Ghana Limited, Seidu Agongo, for allegedly causing financial loss to the State, with 27 charges preferred against them. 

The two have been granted self-recognizance bail in the sum of 300, thousand cedis each. 

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