The Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at COCOBOD, Dr. Francis Baah has reiterated at an Accra High Court that it is never true that Dr. Stephen Opuni, as the Chief Executive of COCOBOD, directed scientists at CRIG to shorten the testing of fertilizers.

According to him, throughout the tenure of Dr. Opuni, to date, no such directive has come to his notice, issued by the former chief executive as alleged by prosecution witness, Dr. F. M. Amoah.

The Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at COCOBOD has been giving evidence in court about Dr. Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo who are facing various charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, corruption by public officers, and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

Dr Amoah, who is the first prosecution, told the court in July 2018 that Dr Opuni gave the oral directive when he assumed office as the chief executive in the presence of some scientists and management members of COCOBOD.

"My Lord, I wish to state there were one or two other platforms at which Dr Opuni insisted on this directive, and one that I remember clearly was in his office where myself, Mr Akrofi, Dr Agyeman Dwomoh, Mr Alex Afrifa were all invited to his office in Accra on the same issue of reducing the test period. My Lord, and in attendance at the meeting, were Dr. Francis Baah, who was the then manager in Dr. Opuni's office and also Mr. James Kofi Kutsoatsi, who was the deputy chief executive in charge of operations," Dr. F.M. told the court in his evidence in chief.

But Dr Baah told the court on April 17, 2024, that he never attended any such meeting.

“No my Lord, I do not recall any such meeting or being present in any such meeting,” the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at COCOBOD denied the allegation.

He further exposed Dr. F.M. Amoah’s “untruthful” account in court as he punched holes in his claims.

Even though Dr. Amoah claimed Mr James Kofi Kutsoatsi was also in the meeting held in January 2014, the latter actually assumed office as the Deputy Executive Director in charge of Operations at COCOBOD in April 2014: months after the alleged meeting took place.

“You are aware based on investigations which took place with respect to Lithovit that at the time Lithovit was approved, i.e. COCOBOD acted on the recommendation of CRIG in January 2014, Mr. James Kofi Kutsoatsi was not at post. That's true?" Mr Samuel Codjoe, lead counsel for Dr. Opuni asked the witness on Wednesday. 

Dr Baah, in his response, said, “My Lord, I think that would be correct because Mr Kutsoatsi has not come in January 2014”.

He was further asked, “It is never true that there is a meeting attended by yourself, Mr Akrofi, Dr Agyeman Dwomoh, Alex Afrifa, Dr Amoah and Mr James Kofi Kutsoatsi, at any place in which first accused, issued a directive on reducing the test period of fertilizers to the CRIG scientists.”

The witness responded, “Yes my Lord, I agree with counsel if he [Mr. Kutsoatsi] had not been appointed at that time. How could he attend such a meeting? I don't recall attending such a meeting.”

Dr. Baah was also asked that having been with  COCOBOD for over 30 years, if any such directives existed it would definitely be contained in some writing of a sort, either by way of a specific policy issued by COCOBOD to the requisite agency in charge of the testing namely CRIG 

“Yes my Lord, I agree with counsel, COCOBOD directives are issued to departments, divisions, or staff by way of memos or circulars. My Lord, I'm not aware of any memo or circulars,” the witness replied, confirming that any such directives would have to follow due process to be effective.

“And I'm further putting it to you, just like the case of contracts which follow due process and not prepared by the chief executive, there is a procedure for those directives,” counsel asked, and Dr. Baah answered, “Yes my Lord”.

The witness also told the court that there would have definitely been records of this meeting if it had taken place. 

Dr. Baah also expressed “surprise” at a claim by Dr. Amoah, that Dr. Opuni spent a night at Tafo stating, “I know he (Dr. Opuni) doesn't stay out overnight and never out at Tafo”.

“And according to Dr. Amoah, the first accused spent the night of the 8th of January at CRIG and in the morning of the 9th of January he had separate meetings with the scientists and the management in one group and the entire staff in another group.

“What I recall vividly is that the usual practice at CRIG when we have what we call an exhibition for our visitors, which took place at the director’s complex. After that, the Chief Executive, I was there, met all the staff at the recreation centre where the Executive Director introduced the Chief Executive to the staff,” the witness said.

He was further asked, “So, it is not true that two separate meetings were held with the scientists and management in one group and the entire working force in another group as stated by Dr Amoah, as stated in his evidence in this court?”

Dr Baah insisted, “I can not confirm that there was a separate meeting for senior scientists and senior staff after the meeting at the recreation centre. But what I can confirm is what is described as a meeting was an exhibition to show the Chief Executive the work of CRIG and this was attended by all scientists and senior staff. This is not a meeting but an assemblage of all the scientists and management staff where the chief executive is shown various activities, stand by stand.”

It would be recalled that Dr Amoah, in his evidence-in-chief, alleged that Dr Opuni said his directive was to reduce the high cost of agrochemicals and also prevent a few companies from monopolising agrochemicals for cocoa.

As a result of the directive, Dr Amoah said, testing on Lithovit foliar fertiliser for mature cocoa was reduced to six months instead of the stipulated minimum period of two years.

Under cross-examination in October 2018, Dr Amoah said he has never been influenced in his work.

His claims of fertilisers being tested for a minimum of two years have also been disputed by various COCOBOD scientists who have testified in court so far.

“Have you ever been influenced by any other thing apart from your scientific knowledge and integrity in your work,’’ counsel for Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited Benson Nutsukpui asked him in 2018.

“No”, Dr. F.M. Amoah replied.