Opuni’s lawyers accuse Cocoa Research Institute boss of deceit

Lawyers for the former Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Dr Stephen Opuni, have accused the Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), Dr. Franklin Amoah, of deceit.

According to the lawyers, Dr Amoah, who is also a prosecution witness in the Opuni criminal trial, misled COCOBOD to approve a fertilizer product that had not been tested as required.

Dr Franklin Manu Amoah, who testified in the case last week, claimed that his outfit did not approve the fertilizer.

Dr Franklin Amoah, among other things, told the Accra High Court that the liquid fertiliser procured by COCOBOD under Opuni was untested and not certified.

But lead counsel for Mr Opuni, Samuel Codjoe, during cross-examination, confronted Dr Amoah with a letter he had written to COCOBOD approving the results of two tested fertilizers, which the witness had earlier testified were not approved since they did go through stipulated testing period.

In response to the letter, Dr Amoah agreed to write the letter, but insisted CRIG was carrying out the policy directive introduced by Dr Opuni and was not deceiving COCOBOD.

Stephen Opuni and two others – Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited – are facing several charges, including causing financial loss to the state in a criminal trial.