The Medical Director of Saint Lucy Eye Clinic has been ordered to appear before the High Court in Accra with medical records on Dr Stephen Opuni, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD.
Dr Opuni and two others are facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and corruption by public officer.
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GH¢300, 000self-recognizance bail, each.
The Medical Director, Dr Kodjo Abalo, issued a medical report on DrOpuni, which indicated that surgeries were performed on his (Dr Opuni) left eye and needed a six-week excuse duty to rest and recover properly.
Mr Samuel Cudjoe, Counsel for Dr Opuni, told the court presided over by Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, a Supreme Court Justice, sitting as a High Court Judge, that the former CEO of COCOBOD, was absent from court due to ill-health as four different surgeries were performed on the left eye.
The lawyer told the Court that at the last adjourned date, he was in possession of the medical report, but he did not release it and only showed it to prosecution because the details were confidential.
“We, therefore, pray for an adjournment from September 23, 2022,” he said.
Mrs Evelyn Keelson, Chief State Attorney, told the Court that Dr Opuni was required to be present in court, adding that “I have seen the medical report indicating that Dr Opuni had undergone four surgeries on the left eye and in the report, the Medical Director had said he needs six-weeks for proper healing.”
The Chief State Attorney said the statement made by the Medical Director was not binding on the court and that he (medical director) did not indicate the basis for the six weeks in the report.
Mrs Keelson said under Section 169(2) of Act 30 of the Constitution, the court could not adjourn the matter more than a month.
”l pray that the court to invite the Medical Director, Dr Kodjo Abalo of the St Lucy Eye Clinic, to give further and better particulars for his request for DrOpuni to be excused for six weeks,” she added.
The judge, after listening to the parties, said “l will order the Medical Director, DrAbalo to appear in court with all records on DrOpuni. The registrar of the court is to ensure that the order is served on the said Medical Director per the address stated in the report.”
