The Chief State Attorney, Evelyn Keelson, ruffled feathers in court on Tuesday when she requested that former COCOBOD boss Dr. Stephen Opuni who is recuperating from eye surgeries, should be tried virtually. Opuni, who had four different surgeries on his left eye in September, has been advised to rest his eye to ensure proper healing. The former COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr. Stephen Opuni, and businessman Seidu Agongo as well as Agricult Ghana Limited, have been facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, corruption by public officers and contravention of the Public Procurement Act in the purchase of Lithovit liquid fertilizer between 2014 and 2016.They have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GH¢300,000.00 self-recognisance bail each.When the High Court reconvened on October 11, counsel for Dr. Opuni, Mr. Samuel Codjoe, informed the court that his client was unable to make it to court because he had been excused for six weeks due to ill health and had been advised not to get involved in any activity.Counsel showed the court medical records as well as the excuse notice to that effect and prayed for adjournment, stressing that his client was not waiving his right under Article 19 (3).But the Chief State Attorney was averse to the adjournment and therefore contested it.Evelyn Keelson, who has been at the forefront of the prosecution’s case, having signed the charge sheet which formed the basis for the trial in 2018, suggested means the court can circumvent Article 19 (3) cleanly.”My lord, in the alternative, this court can sit virtually to accommodate the first accused.” It is, therefore, our submission that this court, in the exercise of its discretion, can proceed with the case without infringing on Article 19(3) since the doctor’s opinion for the accused to stay for six weeks is not binding on this court,” Evelyn Keelson told the court presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga who recently retired from the Supreme Court. She had earlier conceded: “My lord, I have seen a medical report indicating that the first accused has had surgery on his left eye, and in that report, the medical director has indicated that he needs six weeks to rest the eye for proper healing.”Evelyn Keelson, nonetheless, told Justice Honyenuga, “Respectful my lord, this statement by the medical director is not binding on this honourable court. My lord, the medical director did not indicate the basis for the six weeks he has indicated in the report.”She, therefore, prayed to the court to invite the medical director who gave the excuse notice to Dr. Opuni to give further and better particulars to his request.Lawyer Samuel Codjoe however, told Evelyn Keelson that her submissions were “not only factually inaccurate but seek to infringe on the right of the first accused.”He pointed out paragraph 10 of the medical report to the. Chief State Attorney to counter her claim that the doctor didn’t give reasons for the excuse duty.”My lord, the chief state attorney has not gotten any medical knowledge to speak the way she is doing.”My lord, we don’t have any problem with inviting the medical doctor because no one has a monopoly over good health.”My lord, what is unfortunate is that the prosecution is saying the first accused, who is sick and is not supposed to engage in any activity, should sit in a virtual trial. So he should lie down or what? My lord, this is unacceptable even in military regimes,” he asserted.Lawyer Codjoe further remarked, “My lord, the prosecution is saying that despite the fact that the first accused is ill, the first accused should be put on trial. This will take us back to the dark days when we did not have a constitution. “Meanwhile, retired Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, who is sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, ordered the medical director to appear before him on the next adjourned date “in order to clear any doubts about the medical report before this court”. The retired judge has therefore directed the Registrar of the Court to ensure that the doctor is served with the order for him to tell the court about the medical records of Dr. Opuni.The sitting was adjourned to Monday, October 17 2022.

Source: dailymailgh.com

A 75-year-old man, Emmanuel Tetteh who was wrongfully sentenced to death for murder has been finally released from prison after thirty-three years.Tetteh, Tengey [who was the murder suspect], and one Grumah who was also innocent, were jailed together.According to Tengey, Tetteh and Grumah were innocent of the crime but he accused them of being his accomplices in the murder case when he was being tortured by the police to name his accomplices.“I was tortured by police officers at gunpoint to name my accomplices. I could not withstand it so initially, the name that came to my mind was Tetteh. The beatings did not stop so I mentioned Gruma’s name too as another accomplice. They arrested him too and they arraigned us before the court. I regret my actions and I ask for forgiveness,” he pleaded.Despite heavy protestations from Tetteh and Grumah that they knew absolutely nothing about the case, they were still sentenced to death with Tengey after police investigations.In an interview with Tettey, Grumah died out of shock after spending three months in prison.Tetteh said his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.During a crimecheckghana.org’s interview with Tengey and Tetteh four years ago at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, Tengey confessed that his so-called accomplices knew nothing about the murder but he deliberately named them with the hope that he will be spared the torture.After spending thirty-three years in prison, Tetteh has been freed through presidential pardon but unfortunately without compensation.Mr. Tetteh’s sad story did not end after his release as his best friend back in the village in the Western Region has taken over his household and married his wife with whom they now have four children.He said his wife, when she heard of his return jilted her new husband to come back to him.“When I was released, I went to the village. Many people thought I was dead so it was difficult for them to believe it was me. They thought I was a ghost. It was after five days, my wife heard I had returned. I did not bother to see her because of what she did. However, she came to see me and I forgave her.”Background to the storyMr. Tengey said he was hired by a neighbor to work for him on a payment term.He claimed the neighbor did not pay him for ten months and when he demanded what was due him, the neighbor attacked him with a broken bottle.“I worked for him in his house and did any other job he wanted me to do for him. After ten months, he sacked me without paying me and when I went to ask for my money he rather attacked me with a broken bottle with which he injured me. There was no nearby police station to report the issue so I could not let go,” he said.Mr. Tengey said three months later, he met his neighbor whom he had worked for on his way to his farm. He said he demanded his money and a misunderstanding ensued between them.He said during the altercation, he butchered his neighbor with the machete he was holding resulting in his untimely death.“I was arrested the following day after the incident. At the police station, I was subjected to severe torture, which I could not withstand. The police officers pointed a gun at my head amid the torture to mention the name of my accomplice. I committed the crime alone but they insisted that I did it with somebody. I only saw Tetteh when he came to visit the man I had worked for to collect a refund of his money. His name came to my mind so I mentioned it to them,” he recounted.Tetteh, Tengey, and Grumah who was later named as an accomplice were sentenced to death by hanging in 1988

Source: crimecheckghana.org

Reginald Yaw Asante Osei known by his stage name Reggie Rockstone has said after several years of enduring pain, there is no bad blood between him and a friend who snatched his wife from him. “For your information, today I still speak to the guy and I speak with the lady too. It didn’t go well with their relationship though,” Reggie Rockstone told Agyemang on TV XYZ in an interview monitored by MyNewsGH.com.According to the Hiplife Grandpapa, the only opportunity he had in life was to put this story in a piece of music which featured KK Fosu at the time dubbed ‘Ah’. Speaking on the reason behind his song, Reggie Rockstone noted that, “the story was about my life; my wife and my very good friend who were dating behind me in Ghana. “Motivating himself and other folks who have suffered similar instances on TV XYZ, Reggie Rockstone advised “God works in mysterious ways and those who know me know I am happily married. I’ve been married for a long time. At times, how God makes things, you would never understand.”“If it had not happened that way, I may not have met my new wife. So pray whenever you go into circumstances,” he urged.