Opuni has not hired me to defend him – Dr. Ayine

Former Deputy Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine has dismissed reports that the embattled former CEO of COCOBOD, Dr Stephen Opuni has contracted him to defend him in court after he was charged for causing financial loss to the state.

A list of five popular lawyers purported to be the defence team of Dr Opuni which include Tony Lithur, Theophilus Tawiah, Dr Dominic Ayine, Tweneboah Koduah and Sampson Lardi have gone viral on social media.

Dr Opuni together with a businessman, Seidu Agongo, owner of Class Group of companies are facing 27 charges of willfully causing financial loss to the state to the tune of GH¢217million in three separate contracts for the supply of fertilisers from Germany.

They are scheduled to appear at the High Court in Accra on Friday, 23rd March 2018 for trial.

Dr. Opuni had his assets including his accounts, frozen by the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO), in February 2017. Appointed on November 30, 2013 to head COCOCBOD, he is alleged to have mismanaged the cocoa sector during his four-year tenure.

But Dr. Ayine in an exclusive interview with Kasapafmonline.com has denied being part of Dr Opuni’s legal team.

“It is not true, that is false news. I haven’t been contacted.”

Dr. Opuni who once headed the Food and Drugs Authority was relieved of his post on January 12, 2017, barely a week after the Akufo-Addo regime took office. The sack letter signed by Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, ordered Dr. Opuni to vacate his office by 5pm the following day, January 13.