Dr. Stephen Opuni
An Accra High Court has been told that a report covering Lithovit fertilizer based on which a certificate was issued to Seidu Agongo’s Agricult Ghana Limited to supply fertilizer worth millions of dollars during the tenure of Dr. Stephen Opuni at Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) was fabricated.
Dr. Stephen Opuni and Seidu Agongo have been charged with causing financial loss to the state.
A former Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Agrochemicals and Quality Control at COCOBOD, Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah told the court that the issue of fabrication was one of the findings of a committee set up to investigate anomalies in the testing of agrochemicals at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG).
The report stated that Lithovit fertilizer could be applied on mature cocoa to increase yield although it was only tested on two months old cocoa seedlings.
He said the fabrication of the report on the fertilizer led to a recommendation that the appointment of the lead scientist at CRIG at the time Alex A. Afrifah be terminated.
Findings
Dr. Adu-Ampomah, who is the third prosecution witness in the trial, told the court at a previous sitting that COCOBOD instituted a four-member committee to look into the anomalies in the testing of the chemicals, one of which was Lithovit fertilizer.
He said the then lead scientist at CRIG Alex A. Afrifah and two other scientists, who tested the Lithoivt fertilizer all stated that the fertilizer was not tested on mature cocoa.
At yesterday’s sitting, the witness told the court that the committee, during its investigations, found that “the report covering the Lithovit fertilizer was fabricated by Mr. Afrifah without the knowledge of the other two scientists – Mr. Dogbatse and Dr. Arthur.”
He said the committee also found that Mr. Afrifah never worked on any Lithovit fertilizer and insisted that the fertilizer that was submitted for testing was powdery and not liquid.
He also said the four-member committee found that the fertilizer was only tested on two months old cocoa seedlings and not mature cocoa.
“The conclusion on the report of Lithovit fertilizer that it could be applied on mature cocoa has no scientific basis … The Lithovit fertilizer that was procured was substandard according to the report submitted by the Ghana Standard Authority and the University of Ghana Chemistry Department,” Dr. Adu-Ampomah added.
Recommendations
The witness indicated that the committee after its work, which included interviewing the scientists who worked on the testing of the fertilizer, recommended that the certificate issued to Agricult Ghana Limited should be withdrawn and the contract for the supply of 1 million litres of Lithovit liquid fertilizer for the 2017 cocoa season be abrogated.
He said the committee also recommended that the conduct of Dr. Opuni, Mr. Afrifah and Mr. Agongo should be reported to state investigation agencies for further investigations.
Cross-examination
Samuel Codjoe, lawyer for Dr. Opuni, began cross-examining the witness after the witness concluded his evidence-in-chief.
Mr. Codjoe asked the witness which Dutch and American NGOs he worked with after his retirement as he had earlier told the court in his testimony.
Dr. Adu-Ampomah stated that he worked with a Solidarida, a Dutch NGO but cannot remember the name of the US NGOs.
He, however, stated that they were linked to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and were helping a local Ghanaian local company to help local farmers to improve their livelihoods.
There was a question on how long the witness had known Dr. Opuni, and the lawyer at one point challenged the witness that he stated that he had known the accused since 2013 just to portray that the witness is on good terms with him (Dr. Opuni).
Hearing continues on May 28 for further cross-examination of the witness.
By Gibril Abdul Razak