Supreme Court orders Opuni’s account to be de-frozen

The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed the order of an Accra High Court to freeze two accounts of Dr Stephen Opuni by ordering that both accounts should be de-frozen, except an amount of GH¢ 25,000.00 in an ECOBANK account.

The court in a unanimous decision, delivered by Justice Jones Dotse ordered that both accounts should be defrozen, but an amount of GH¢ 25,000.00 is to remain frozen in the ECOBANK account.

Dr Opuni filed certiorari at the Supreme Court seeking it to quash the decision of the High Court to freeze his two accounts.

Justice Dotse said “the court was of the opinion that the GH¢25,000.00 was the amount stated to be the proceeds of the crime. The remaining accounts are hereby de-frozen and to that effect the order of the high court is quashed.”

Earlier, Mr Samuel Cudjoe, counsel for Dr Opuni told the court that the ruling of the High Court to freeze the ECOBANK Ghana and Standard Chartered bank accounts of Mr Opuni was an error.

He said the court acted in excess of its jurisdiction, adding that in that ruling the court also breached his clients’ rights to be heard.

“The Judge refused to set aside a confirmatory order on the grounds that, the sum total of the charge is far in excess of the two accounts,” he added.

Ms Jacqueline Avotri, Counsel for EOCO, in her response told the Court that their position was that the High Court did not act in excess and there was no error, and the rules of natural justice were not bridged as well.

Dr Opuni together with Mr Seidu Agongo, businessman are facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretence, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, corruption by public officer and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

They had pleaded not guilty and have been granted a GH¢300,000.00 self-recognisance bail each by a High court.

Source: GNA