Opuni Trial Judge Reinstated
Justice Clemence Honyenuga The Supreme Court has in a 4:3 majority decision reinstated Justice Clemence Honyenuga who is sitting as an additional High Court judge to continue hearing the case Read More... The post Opuni Trial Judge Reinstated appeared first on DailyGuide Network.
Justice Clemence Honyenuga
The Supreme Court has in a 4:3 majority decision reinstated Justice Clemence Honyenuga who is sitting as an additional High Court judge to continue hearing the case of former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Coca Board, Stephen Opuni who is standing trial for causing over GHc217 million financial loss to the state.
This follows the decision of the court to grant an application for review filed by the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, who challenged an earlier decision of the court to take the judge off the case on grounds of bias.
Dr. Opuni had applied to the Supreme Court to take Justice Honyenuga off the case on ground that he will not be given the opportunity to defend himself as the trial judge was bent on sending him to jail.
The ordinary bench in a 3:2 majority had granted the application and prohibited the trial judge from further hearing the case.
But the the Attorney General in a motion for review argued that the decision of the ordinary Bench contained multiple fundamental flaws which occasioned substantial miscarriage of justice.
He said the ruling will occasion irreparable damage to the republic in the substantive trial of the errors committed by the ordinary Bench are not corrected.
Samuel Codjoe, counsel for Dr. Opuni opposed the application arguing that it did not meet the threshold for invoking the review jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
He further argued that the AG was rehashing its old argument, adding that the court was right in prohibiting the trial judge and prayed it to uphold the majority decision.
The court in a 4:3 majority granted the review application and reinstated Justice Honyenuga to continue hearing the case, indicating that their reasoned ruling would be made available by close of Friday.
Justices Jones Dotse, Avril Lovelace-Johnson, Prof. Nii Ashie Kotey and Gertrude Torkonoo formed the majority while Justices Gabriel Pwamang, Agnes Dordzie and Amadu Tanko dissented.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak
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