NCA Trail: Supreme Court grants accused person full pre-trial disclosure 

The Supreme Court has ruled on controversies surrounding whether an accused person should have access to Prosecutions documents and evidence.

A seven-member-panel presided over by Justice Atuguba unanimously ruled that an accused person is entitled to full pre-trial disclosures by Prosecution. 

It says whether it is a summary trial or trial of indictment, the accused person should be given the documents. 

The Court's decision which was read by Justice Sophia Adenyira said a trial cannot be fair if Prosecution keeps a document to itself and decides to surprise accused persons with them.

The Court also said if for any reason the Attorney General is unable to give it to the accused person, it should be brought to the court for further interpretation. 

This ruling is on a disagreement between State Prosecutors and Defense Lawyers over release of the list of witnesses and documents the state intends to rely on during the trial of former Board Chairman of National Communication Authority (NCA), Eugene Baffoe Bonnie and four others for causing financial loss to the state to the tune of four million dollars. 

Mr. Baffoe Bonnie together with NCA Director General, William Tetteh Tevie, Nana Owusu Ensaw, Alhaji Salifu Osman and George Derick Oppong are standing trial at the High Court for causing financial loss to the state. 

The trial has since February been suspended for the apex court to interpret Article 19 Clause two of the 1992 Constitution. 

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