Alleged GHC25,000 bribe could be Opuni’s salary – Lawyer to prosecution witness

The salary of former COCOBOD CEO, Dr Stephen Opuni came to light on Monday as defence counsel tried to punch holes in the testimony of the prosecution witness.

The investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Prempeh Mercer had alleged that the former COCOBOD boss received an amount of GHC25,000 from the second accused person, Seidu Agongo.

The said amount believed to have been paid into Mr Opuni’s account suggested there had been some dealings between the duo.

Mr Prempeh, the investigator with the Financial Forensics Unit (FFU) of the CID said the second accused person during interrogation said the money was for charity works.

But Counsel for the second accused Nutifafa Nustupkui countered the alleged bribe allegation.

He wondered why the accused person would settle for an amount that was not even close to the accused person’s salary.

This led him to ask the prosecution witness Thomas Prempeh if he knew what the former COCOBOD Chief Executive earned per month.

Mr Prempeh’s response was simply No. He, however added that the figure was indeed above the said GHC25,000.

“As part of investigations we obtained the pay slip of the accused person (Stephen Opuni) from the time of his assumption at the office. I can produce it if I am asked to.

“But I do not have the exact figure in my head but I do recall it was more than GHC25,000,” the prosecution witness said.

Mr Nustupkui further pointed to the witness that the said amount could be Dr Opuni’s own money and not the alleged bribe that the prosecution witness wants the court to believe.

But the witness objected.

“My Lord that is not so. I have explained in this court and produced evidence to support that. Mr Opuni in giving his statement to the police said he gave the money to Mr Agongo to be deposited into his account.

“Mr Agongo on the other hand said he paid GHC25,000 to help cater for needy children and my Lord it is the same GHC25,000,” Mr Prempeh added.

At the last adjourned date, the witness said Dr Opuni in signing all the documents, which saw the procurement of Lithovit, knew very well that the fertilizer from Agricult Ghana Limited had not been tested at all.

In effect, Dr Opuni was fully aware when he signed the document.

Mr Cudjoe pointed to the witness that Dr Opuni did not determine the type and quantity of fertiliser purchase.

The witness disagreed.

He said Dr Opuni knew very well the fertiliser in question and directed that the testing period be shortened.

Per CRIG procedure, agrochemicals that are sent to the Institute for testing must go through a minimum testing period of two years and a maximum of three years.

But COCOBOD appears to have done the contrary.

According to witness, Dr Opuni was the same person who instructed for the issuance of a certificate on the Lithovit follar fertiliser on January 22, 2014.

Background

In March 2018, the A-G charged the former CEO of Ghana COCOBOD, Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni and Seidu Agongo, who is the CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited, for causing financial loss to the state.

The two have been charged with 27 counts, including allegedly engaging in illegalities that caused financial loss of GH¢271.3 million to the state.

The illegalities led to the distribution of sub-standard fertilizer to cocoa farmers.

Agongo is alleged to have used fraudulent means to sell sub-standard fertilizer to COCOBOD for onward distribution to cocoa farmers, while Dr Opuni is accused of facilitating the act by allowing Agongo’s products not to be tested and certified, as required by law.

The two accused persons have pleaded not guilty to all the 27 charges and are currently on a GH¢300,000 self-recognisance bail each.