An Accra High Court has dismissed an application filed by lawyers for Mr Kwabena Adu-Boahene, the former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB) for stay of proceedings, pending an appeal.
The application for stay concerned an earlier ruling by the court denying the defence access to additional documents they indicated were material and exculpatory evidence to help them on their case.
The accused person together with his wife and two others are facing 11 charges, including stealing, money laundering of GH¢49.1 million in State funds, willfully causing financial loss to the State, conspiracy, collaboration to commit crime and abuse of public office, all to which they pleaded not guilty.
Mr Samuel Atta-Akyea, counsel for the accused persons, argued that without those documents, their clients could not get a fair trial and therefore asked the court to stay the ongoing criminal proceedings pending the appeal.
Dr Justice Srem-Sai, the Deputy Attorney-General, opposed the stay.
The State argued that the defence had not established exceptional circumstances for stay of proceedings to be granted.
Dr Srem-Sai said the requested materials were either irrelevant or not held by the prosecution, points that underpinned the earlier refusal to order further disclosure.
Meanwhile, Dr Dominic Ayine, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, has withdrawn charges against Mildred Donkor, the third accused, under Section 59 of Act 30.
This is to enable the Attorney-General present Madam Donkor to the court as one of its prosecution witnesses.
Source: GNA
The post Court dismisses application for stay of proceedings in Adu-Boahene GH¢49.1m case appeared first on Ghana Business News.
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