The District Magistrate Court at Osu in Accra, has adjourned to June 25, 2013, the extradition proceedings involving Justin Katinan Kone, a Minister of Budget in former President Laurent Gbagbo’s government in Cote d’Ivoire.
That was after a Chief State Attorney, Mr Matthew Amponsah, had requested the court to adjourn the case due to the absence of counsel for Kone, Mr Patrick Sogbodjor.
He told the court, presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh, on Wednesday, that it would be unfair to cross-examine the accused in the absence of his lawyer.
Mr Amponsah, who began cross-examining Kone last week after the accused had concluded his evidence-in-chief, was sure that he would finish his cross-examination next week once sitting continued.
Kone, who has been living in Ghana as a refugee since April, 2011, was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport, following an arrest warrant issued by an Ivorian court on August 16, 2012, requesting that Kone be brought to Cote d’Ivoire for alleged economic crimes he committed during the post-election violence in that country.
The Human Rights Court, on September 5, 2012, refused to order Kone’s release from the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) on the grounds that the state had justified why he should be held in lawful custody.
His lawyer filed an ex-parte motion praying the court to order the BNI to produce his client in court. The application was granted, resulting in the state producing Kone on August 29, 2012.
Kone had been registered as a refugee and had been living in Ghana under that status since April 13, 2011 until the day of his arrest.
He is the second top official in Gbagbo’s government to be arrested while living in exile.
The first to be extradited was Moise Lida Kouassi, a former Defence Minister, who was picked up in Togo on June 6, 2012 and extradited the same day.
Kone is alleged to have committed economic crimes when he was a Budget Minister during the three months of crisis and conflict that followed Gbagbo’s refusal to cede power to his rival, Mr Alassane Ouattara.
Kone is alleged to have conspired with some people and led troops to rob banks in Abidjan on April 19 and 20, 2011, to the tune of about 38 billion CFA.
An Ivorian court had, on August 16, 2012, issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
He has, however, prayed the court not to grant the extradition request, since he would face political persecution if sent back home.
Story: Emmanuel Bonney