Dr. Stephen Opuni
A former Director of Finance at Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Charles Tetteh Dodoo, who has been testifying on behalf of the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the state institution, Dr. Stephen Opuni, on Monday conceded that he has no idea about the nature of Lithovit Foliar Fertiliser that was tested by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) in 2013, which was eventually approved and bought by COCOBOD.
The witness also confirmed to the court that he has no idea about the material safety data sheet (MSDS), the document detailing the nature and form of the fertiliser, which accompanied the fertiliser that was submitted to CRIG by Agricult Ghana, through Seidu Agongo for testing.
Mr. Dodoo had told the court that the only Lithovit he saw was liquid, because that was the Lithovit which was purchased by COCOBOD in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
But the witness, while under cross-examination by the prosecution led by Evelyn Keelson, a Chief State Attorney, confirmed to the court that he did not have the benefit of the report which CRIG sent to COCOBOD on the tested Lithovit Foliar Fertiliser which led to COCOBOD purchasing the product.
Dr. Opuni and Seidu Agongo are standing trial for allegedly causing financial loss of over GH¢217 million to the state through the sale and purchase of the controversial Lithovit Liquid Fertiliser, which the prosecution has insisted was not tested by CRIG.
One of the main issues in the trial is the nature and form of the Lithovit Fertiliser that was introduced to COCOBOD, what was tested by CRIG, and what was later supplied to COCOBOD for distribution to farmers.
While witnesses of the prosecution have all insisted that the product that was tested and certified was in powder form, there are records pointing to the fact that COCOBOD, under the management of Dr. Opuni, procured an untested Lithovit Liquid Fertiliser.
Mr. Dodoo, who is Dr. Opuni’s first witness, confirmed to the court that he is not aware of any scientific report on the Lithovit Liquid Fertiliser which was purchased by COCOBOD, but added that, “I may not be aware of the content of the CRIG report, but I am aware that there would be a report before the procurement procedure will be triggered.”
Mrs. Keelson also put it to the witness that he has “absolutely no idea about the Lithovit Foliar Fertiliser manufactured by Zeovita in Germany, which was submitted by the third accused (Agricult), through the second accused (Agongo) for testing.”
“Yes, my lord. For testing, I have no idea,” the witness responded.
Mr. Keelson also challenged the witness on his assertion during his evidence-in-chief that CEOs of COCOBOD do not write letters, but only signed them, by putting it to him that Dr. Opuni could not have rubber stamped the letters leading to the purchase of Lithovit Fertiliser.
But Mr. Dodoo told the court that Dr. Opuni only signed letters but did not author them, adding that he did not even have a computer in his office.
The prosecutor then put it to the witness that all the evidence he gave before the court were just assumptions and conjuncture in a bid “to try and help the first accused as your former boss and not based on any personal knowledge you have about this case.”
Mr. Dodoo disagreed and said, having provided information to Dr. Opuni’s lawyers leading to the documentary evidence they brought to court, he does not see why he would be told he does not know what he was talking about.
The court, presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga, a Supreme Court judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, discharged the witness and adjourned the case to May 9.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak