COCOBOD procurement breaches case adjourned to February 6

Trial of Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited before the Accra High Court has been adjourned to Monday, February 6, 2023.

This is because second accused, Mr Seidu Agongo, the Managing Director of Agricult Ghana Limited, was indisposed.

The accused is standing trial together with Dr. Opuni, the for­mer Chief Executive Officer of Ghana COCOBOD, for alleged procurement breaches in the pur­chase and supply of fertiliser.

Mr. Agongo’s counsel, Nuti­fafa Nutsukpui, brought to the attention of the court the medical condition of his client and provided medical documents and three days of excuse duty for accused, who was hospitalised on January 30 to January 31.

Mrs. Stella Ohene, the Principal State, and Mr. Samuel Codjoe were given copies of the medical report of accused, which they did not object to.

The court presided over by Justice Clement Jackson Ho­nyenugah adjourned the case.

He said “by court, the medical excuse duty has been perused and following the submission of the counsel for the second and third accused, and the counsel for the first accused, and that of the Principal State Attorney, it is my considered opinion that there is a genuine reason to adjourn for the second accused to recuperate. Consequently, this case stands adjourned to Monday, February 6, 2023, at 10am, for continuation.”

In March 2018, the Attor­ney-General charged Dr. Opuni and Agongo, for causing financial loss of GH¢271.3 million to the state.

The two have been charged with 27 counts, including alleged­ly engaging in illegalities leading to the distribution of sub-stan­dard fertiliser to cocoa farmers.

Agongo is alleged to have used fraudulent means to sell sub-stan­dard fertiliser to COCOBOD for onward distribution to cocoa farmers.

At the same time, Dr. Opuni is accused of facilitating the act by allowing Agongo’s products not to be tested and certified, as required by law.

According to the facts of the case, Dr. Opuni on October 10, 2014, while he was the CEO of COCOBOD, agreed to permit his office to be influenced by an amount of GH¢25,000.

Mr. Agongo has also been accused of endeavouring to in­fluence the conduct of Dr. Opuni in the performance of his duties as the CEO of COCOBOD by offering him GH¢25,000 on October 10, 2014.