By Gifty
Amofa, GNA
Accra, Oct. 23, GNA – Mr Thaddeus Sory, the
Counsel for Mr Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, former Board Chairman of the National
Communications Authority (NCA), on Tuesday pleaded with the High Court to give
him time to get justice for his client.
This was when he requested the Court, presided
over by Mr Eric Kyei-Baffour, to allow him to get the minutes derived from the
42nd Financial Committee (FINCOMM), which had become useful in his
cross-examination.
The Court then adjourned the case to Thursday,
October 25, to enable the NCA to furnish it with the document.
Justice Kyei-Baffour, in granting the plea,
stated that it would afford Counsel the opportunity to finish cross-examining
Dr Isaac Yaw Ani, the Director General in charge of Managerial Operations, who
is a prosecution witness.
He emphasised that in order not to delay
trial, the Court would exercise discretion by inviting relevant witnesses if
only the said documents were available on the next adjournment.
The Judge advised Counsel to also request for
any other document needed from prosecution apart from FINCOMM minutes on time
in order not to get avoidable adjournments.
Mr Baffoe-Bonnie and six others including Mr
William Tevie, the former Director General of NCA, are being held for allegedly
conspiring and causing financial loss to the State.
The accused persons are said to have, in
different ways engaged and caused the loss of eight million dollars in
procuring cyber-security devices from Infralocks Development Limited for the
state in aid of NCA’s work.
The Counsel brought in five documents to be
used as evidence through Dr Ani, including a letter dated May 29, 2015, from
the National Security Council Secretariat, copy of letter inviting members of
FINCOMM to the 42nd meeting, Industry Support and Development as well as
Management Accounts for the Second and Third Quarters.
Madam Yvonne Attakora Buobisa of the Attorney
General’s Department initially objected to the tendering in of the letter
through Dr Ani with reasons that it was not addressed to him and that he was
only in court as a witness, providing information on the matters of finance and
budget of the Authority.
She said the letter was not authenticated and
had no particular reference and that she did not receive that letter, however,
she was overruled.
The Judge explained that since the Counsel had
knowledge of the letter, it did not matter whether he authored or received it,
it was supporting a claim of allegation that the letter was discussed in a
meeting Dr Ani took part.
The Counsel, therefore, asked Dr Ani whether
he was invited for the FINCOMM as well as having copies of the agenda and other
relevant documents and he answered in the affirmative.
When he further asked whether Dr Ani knew that
the expenditure in support of the Ministry’s activities increased by 172.43 per
cent above the budget, Dr Ani again answered in the affirmative.
Dr Ani noted that if the expense was over GH¢100,000.00,
it must also go to the Board for approval.
Mr Godwin Edudzi Kudzo Tameklo, Counsel for Mr
Tevie, prayed the Court for the same minutes to be released to them as “no
disclosure is a source of injustice,” adding that it might open a new line of defence
for his client.
“For substantial justice and the penalty, my
client will suffer. I pray the court permits us for a short adjournment, so
that we would have the document from NCA and the opportunity to cross-examine
based on that document,” he said.
GNA