Dr. Stephen Opuni
The Attorney General’s Department is set to file additional documents in the trial of the former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Dr. Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo at an Accra High Court.
Although the nature of the documents is not known, sources say they are ‘crucial’ to the case of the prosecution.
At the commencement of the trial, the prosecution filed some documents in line with Article 19 Clauses 2E and G of the 1992 Constitution.
The directive states that accused persons in criminal trials are entitled to disclosure of prosecution documents to enable them to properly defend themselves.
The state has already called two witnesses- Dr. Franklin Manu Amoah, who is the Executive Director of Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) and Dr. Alfred Arthur, acting Head of the Soil Science Division of Cocoa Research Institute Ghana (CRIG), who was recently discharged by the court.
The prosecution was expected to call its next witness, but the case was adjourned to May 8 owing to the decision of the AG to file additional documents.
Dr. Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo, Managing Director of Agricult Ghana Limited are before an Accra High Court for causing financial loss to the state to the tune of GH?217,370,289.22.
The two are facing a total of 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretense, willfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, corruption by a public officer and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
The two have been charged over the purchase and supply of Lithovit fertilizer which the state said was done in contravention of several laws.
Another bone of contention between the state and accused person is the nature of the fertilizer.
The state maintained that the fertilizer that was tested and approved with certificate issued was a solid substance, but the defense insists that it was in liquid form.
By Gibril Abdul Razak