'Blindfolded Man Can't Defend Himself--Lawyers Want A-G Witness List In NCA Trial

Some Defence lawyers in the trial of former top executives of the National Communications Authority are demanding that an Accra High Court orders the Attorney-General to furnish them with the list of all witnesses to appear before the court.

They also want a summary of the testimony of the witnesses to be made available as well as all documents the AG intends to rely on for prosecution.

Former NCA Board Chair Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie (first accused), former Director General of NCA William Mathew Tetteh Tevie (second accused person) and 3 others are before the court on the charge of causing financial loss to the state in the award of a contract for the purchase of Cyber Surveillance equipment.

Lawyer Godwin Tamakloe, who is one of the lawyers representing the former Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Mimina Osman told the court allowing those details to be provided will satisfy the constitutional requirement of a fair trial for all accused persons.

Fair trial, he argued, required adequate facilities to be made available to his client which includes the documents they were requesting for.

He quizzed; "How can a man prepare his defence if he is blindfolded?"

A similar motion was also moved by Lawyer for businessman George Derek Oppong who is also before the court.

The former NCA Board Chair's legal team led by Thaddeus Sory also served notice of moving their application on January 30.

Counsel for former NCA Board Member Nana Owusu Ensaw also asked to be allowed to do same on the said date.

The Attorney General Gloria Akuffo opposed the application. She argued the rules governing a summary trial such as this one, does not allow such requests to be made.

The judge adjourned and set January 25, 2018, for his ruling.