Dr. Stephen Opuni
Former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Stephen Opuni, was earning in excess of GH¢25,000 every month as salary during his time, an Accra High Court has been told.
A retired former Director of Finance at COCOBOD, Charles Tetteh Dodoo, who is Dr. Opuni’s first witness in the trial in which the ex-COCOBOD boss is accused of causing over GH¢217 million financial loss to the state revealed this while under cross-examination by counsel for Seidu Agongo.
Nutifafa Nutsukpui, counsel for Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited had asked the witness whether he remembered how much Dr. Opuni eared as monthly salary and whether it was more than GH¢25,000.
The witness told the court that although he did not recollect the exact amount the accused earned, he remembered that it was more than GH¢25,000 because he was paying Dr. Opuni’s Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) remittance on a cap of GH¢20,000.
The witness then confirmed to the court that he signed the transfer request to the bank for payment of funds to Agricult Ghana Limited after making sure delivery of the consignment was made.
Mr. Nutsukpui then asked the witness what else he did as Director of Finance apart from delivery before instructions for payment are made.
“I will examine to see if the person has a contract and I look for any other special condition that the supplier is required to fulfil, like delivery at the specified location,” Mr. Dodoo stated.
He also asked the witness whether payment made to Agricult Limited by COCOBOD went through the normal COCOBOD payment channel like all other suppliers had to go through, and the witness said “yes”.
“Did payment of third accused (Agricult Limited) get expedited or intervention from anywhere at all to get you as the Director of Finance to instruct the payment in exhibit EE?” the lawyer asked, and Mr. Dodoo answered “No, my Lord.”
Mr. Nutsukpui ended his cross-examination and the prosecution led by Evelyn Keelson, a Chief State Attorney began to cross-examine the witness.
She asked whether he just told the court that as the Director of Finance between 2014 and 2016 he could not remember how much Dr. Opuni earned.
The witness said “yes”, but explained that there were increments in salaries within the period so he could not recollect which increments took place at the time.
“All these increments were done when you were the Director of Finance is that not so,” Mrs. Keelson asked, and the witness said “Yes, within the period April 2014 to January 2017.”
The prosecutor then suggested to the witness that “certainly there are a number of several things that took place at COCOBOD when you were there that you cannot remember,” and Mr. Dodoo said “yes”.
The case has been adjourned to April 25, 2022, for the prosecution to further cross-examine the witness.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak