The Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana has denied claims that Justice Clemence Honyenuga of the Supreme Court received two new vehicles, an SUV and saloon car, from President Nana Akufo-Addo to influence him in the ongoing GHS217 million financial loss case involving former COCOBOD CEO Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo.
The President of the Association, Justice Henry Kwofie, told journalists in Accra that: “This allegation, which is being thrown around all over the place especially on social media, we find extremely malicious, unfounded, and we see it as a deliberate attempt to cause disaffection for Justice Honyenuga, to His Lordship, the Chief Justice, and the judiciary in general, and we take a strong exception, and we also see it as an attempt to scandalise the judiciary, and we take a strong exception to it.”
Justice Honyenuga was removed from the case but reinstated after Attorney General Godfred Dame filed a review application that overturned his prohibition.
A few weeks ago, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), said the manner the Opuni-Agongo trial is proceeding does not convince Ghanaians that justice will be served at the end of the day.
A press statement issued by the party on Sunday, 14 November 2021, signed by General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia said: “It is doubtful” whether “the trajectory” of the trial of Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, Seidu Agongo and Agricult with its twists and turns would convince the ordinary and well-informed citizen that the ends of justice would be served regardless of the outcome of the case”.
“It is in this regard and without prejudice to the pending criminal trial of the accused persons that we call on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to stop the persecution of the accused persons by withdrawing the charges or entering a nolle prosequi”, the party said.
“We believe that such a course of conduct is appropriate because the action of the Attorney General in the past in escalating a simple criminal trial to the level of political gamesmanship with Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni being mischievously presented as the poster child of NDC-government corruption who must be jailed by all means because ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’ make it abundantly clear that the criminal trial of the accused persons is not a criminal prosecution. Instead, it is political persecution by the Attorney General masquerading as an exercise in rule of law and criminal justice”.
