Opuni Trial: l never knew of Dr. Adu Ampomah Committee on lithovit - Witness

Paul Agyei Gyang, senior staff at the Operational Unit of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), has said he was not aware of any Dr. Yaw Adu Ampomah Committee set to investigate the lithovit issues.

He told the Accra High Court hearing the trial involving Dr. Stephen Opuni, former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Seidu Agongo, and Agricult Ghana Limited, that he was hearing about the committee for the first time.

“I do not know whether EOCO Management was informed about the Committee set up by the COCOBOD Management,” he said.

Dr. Adu Ampomah, the Deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control, who doubled as the Chairman of the Committee was the contact person on the board per the investigations conducted by EOCO.

Mr. Gyang, the subpoenaed witness for Mr. Agongo gave his evidence in chief led by Counsel for the accused person, Mr. Benson Nutsukpui.

Dr. Opuni and Mr. Seidu Agongo, are facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, and corruption by a public officer in contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GH¢300,000.00 self-recognisance bail each.

Asked which year EOCO handed over the investigative docket to the Ghana Police, the witness said he could not remember the exact month.

"But it was somewhere 2018 or 2017 there about", he said.