Scientist testifies in alleged COCOBOD GH¢271m financial loss case
Dr Richard Kwame Adu Acheampong, a Deputy Executive Director of Cocoa and Cola at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), on Monday testified in the ongoing trial of Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni.
In March 2018, the Attorney-General charged Dr Opuni and Agongo with 27 counts for allegedly engaging in illegalities that caused financial loss of GH¢271.3 million to the state, and led to the distribution of sub-standard fertiliser to cocoa farmers.
The court subpoenaed the witness to testify before the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Aboagye Tandoh.
Counsel for Dr Opuni, Mr Samuel Codjoe, led Dr Acheampong in evidence.
Mrs Evelyn Keelson, a Chief State Attorney, was the prosecutor while Mr Benson Nutsukpui was lead counsel for Seidu Agongo, second accused, and Managing Director of Agricult Ghana Limited, a fertiliser manufacturing company.
Below was what transpired:
Samuel Kodjo: what is your occupation?
Witness: I am a research scientist.
Samuel Kodjo: A research scientist at where?
Witness: At the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG)
Samuel Kodjo: Did you belong to any other committee?
Witness: Yes my lord.
Samuel Kodjo: What are the names of the committees you belong to?
Witness: One of them was the Committee for Testing Cocoa and Monitoring (CTCM).
Samuel Kodjo: What was the function of the CTCM?
Witness: My lord the CTCM basically looks at reports from testing divisions. They look at the methodology and typographical errors.
Samuel Kodjo: You have a copy of the letter containing the minutes between you and the chairman of the CTCM. Where did you get it?
Witness: My lord, I got it from the files of CRIG.
Samuel Kodjo: Now, in 2014, do you remember who the Executive Director of CRIG was?
Witness: My lord, the Executive Director at the time was Dr F.M Amoah.
Samuel Kodjo: Under which circumstances did the letter come to your attention?
Witness: My lord, the chairman of the CTCM had minuted it to me.
Samuel Kodjo: Who was the chairman of the CTCM at the time?
Witness: The chairman was Mr A.Y Akrofi.
Samuel Kodjo: Why did he minute it to you?
Witness: The chairman was going on leave so he minuted it to me to issue a certificate for Litovit folia fertiliser if the company request for it.
Samuel Kodjo: Did you do anything about it?
Witness: My lord on January 30, 2014, I made my checks and realised there was no such request from the company so on that
same day I minuted it back to the chairman.
Samuel Kodjo: You have a copy of the letter containing the minutes between you and the chairman of the CTCM. Where did you get it?
Witness: My lord, I got it from the files of CRIG.
Samuel Kodjo: Can you tell us by saying what is written on each minutes?
Witness: From the sequence, the first minute was from the executive director to the chairman of the CTCM and it reads RE “referred for your information and necessary action please.” It was on the January 29, 2014.
Samuel Kojo: Can you tell us what this means in your capacity as a research scientist and a member of the CTCM?
Witness: It is for us to take action.
Samuel Kojo: What is next?
Witness: minutes three was addressed to me and it reads“prepare certificate of requested for by Agricult limited” this is dated January 30, 2014.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
