Dr. Franklin Manu Amoah, the first Prosecution Witness in the Dr. Opuni case has said that Dr. Opuni asked one Mr. Afrifa to tell him (the witness) to recommend the Lithovit fertiliser of Agricult Ghana Ltd to COCOBOD.
According to the witness, Mr. Afrifa, who was the Chairman of the Committee for Testing Chemicals and Machines, told him that Dr. Opuni asked that he (the witness) recommend the fertiliser to be purchased for pilot testing on 10,000 hectares of cocoa land.
“I told Mr. Afrifa that it was not within my mandate and I can’t do it”, Dr. Manu Amoah said.
He added that the decision to purchase or procure any input by COCOBOD was the sole prerogative of COCOBOD.
The Witness explained that after testing and recommendations are made by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) and the report of CRIG is approved by COCOBOD, the Ghana Cocoa Board is under no obligation to procure the product.
Mr. Manu Amoah added that the recommended and approved product is marketed according to the content of the report submitted by CRIG.
Counsel for Dr. Stephen Opuni, Mr. Samuel Codjoe, commenced his cross-examination and will continue at the next adjourned date.
The court, presided over by His Lordship Justice Clemence Hornyenuga has adjourned the case to 23rd July, 2018.
Dr. Stephen Opuni, Former CEO of COCOBOD and Mr. Seidu Agongo, Managing Director of Agricult Ghana Ltd are facing 27 charges of financial crimes.
Source: GhanaJustice/F.Kyerematen
