Dr. Franklin Manu Amoah, the former Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute Ghana (CRIG), has said that the Lithovit fertiliser that was tested in 2013 while he was the Head of CRIG, for which a certificate was issued, was in powder form and not liquid as Counsel for Dr. Opuni, Mr. Samuel Cudjoe, purported.
He said this during cross examination by Counsel for Dr. Opuni in the trial of Dr. Stephen Opuni, Mr. Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited.
“I want to state that the sample of Lithovit which was brought to CRIG in 2013, addressed to me as the then Executive Director, was powdery which was worked on and the report submitted by Mr. Afrifa and submitted to COCOBOD. It clearly stated that Lithovit tested by CRIG was fine greyish powder substantce, which should be applied at 50 grams in 11 litres of water”, he explained.
Dr. Manu Amoah gave this answer after Mr. Cudjoe put it to him that, the then Head of Soil Science Division, Mr. A. A. Afrifa, who wrote the scientific report for Dr. Manu Amoah to sign, recommending Lithovit had always maintained that what he tested was liquid and not powder.
Dr. Manu Amoah said that he was surprised at the statement that Mr. Codjoe claimed Dr. Afrifa made, since the report on the Lithovit fertiliser, indicating that the fertiliser was a powdery substance, was authored by Dr. A. A Afrifa.
According to the former Executive Director of CRIG, there is no report of any kind to indicate that Agricult Lithovit had been tested at CRIG or even been re-evaluated.
“All that we have is the Lithovit powdery fertiliser from Germany that we tested”, he added.
According to Dr. Franklin Manu Amoah, CRIG tested a powdery Lithovit Foliar fertiliser and issued a certificate to the German Company that took it to CRIG for sampling, however, certificates were renewed for Agricult Lithovit which was in liquid form in 2015 and 2016.
He further added that the Lithovit powder fertiliser that was recommended, is a registered trademark from Germany and not Agricult Lithovit purchased by COCOBOD.
Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, Mr. Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited are before an Accra High Court, facing 29 counts of various financial crimes.
The case has been adjourned to 12th October, 2018.
SWource: GhanaJustice/F.Kyeremateng
