Opuni trial: I’m not aware of Lithovit committee — Witness
A senior Staff at the Operational Unit of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Paul Agyei Gyang, has told the Accra High Court that he is not aware of any Dr Yaw Adu Ampomah-led committee set to investigate the Lithovit issues.
Advertisement
Giving his evidence in chief, he explained that he was hearing about the committee for the first time.
My Gyang, who is a subpoenaed witness in the trial of former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni and Seidu Agongo at Agricult Ghana Limited said, “I do not know whether EOCO Management was informed about the Committee set up by the COCOBOD Management”.
Dr Adu Ampomah, the Deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control, who doubled as the Chairman of the Committee, was the contact person on the board per the investigations conducted by EOCO.
Mr Gyang, the subpoenaed witness for Mr Agongo gave his evidence in chief led by Counsel for the accused person, Mr Benson Nutsukpui.
Asked which year EOCO handed over the investigative docket to the Ghana Police Service, the witness said he could not remember the exact month, adding: "But it was somewhere 2018 or 2017 there about”.
Not guilty
Dr Opuni and Seidu Agongo, the CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited, an agrochemical company, were dragged to court in March 2018.
State prosecutors have accused the two of causing financial loss of more than GH¢271 million to the state in a series of Lithovit Foliar fertiliser transactions.
Other Trending Stories
It is the case of the prosecution that the fertiliser was substandard and has accused Agongo of allegedly using fraudulent means to sell the fertiliser to COCOBOD for onward distribution to cocoa farmers.
It has further accused Dr Opuni of using his position as the CEO of COCOBOD (November 2013 to January 2017) to facilitate the alleged acts of Agongo by allowing the Lithovit fertiliser not to be tested and certified as required by law.
Dr Opuni and Agongo have pleaded not guilty to 24 counts ranging from wilfully causing financial loss to the state, defrauding by false pretence, contravention of procurement laws, corruption of a public officer and manufacturing fertiliser without registration.
The two are on self-recognisance bail in the sum of GH¢300,000 each.
