State Witness Accused of Withholding Crucial Evidence in Opuni-Agongo Trial

Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah, former Deputy Chief Executive of Agronomy and Quality Control at COCOBOD, has come under scrutiny for allegedly omitting a vital report from the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) during the trial of Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni and businessman Alhaji Seidu Agongo.

The ongoing trial, which centers on accusations of procurement malpractice and financial loss related to the purchase of Lithovit foliar fertilizer, saw Dr. Adu-Ampomah questioned regarding his handling of critical evidence.

Specifically, he is accused of excluding a GSA report from 2017 that affirmed the substance in question as fertilizer from the exhibits presented in court.

During the proceedings on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, Genevieve Baah Mante, Head of the Material Science Department at GSA, testified that Dr. Adu-Ampomah failed to disclose the report, which had been crucial to the investigation.

This report contradicted earlier findings and supported the efficacy of Lithovit as a fertilizer.

Lawyers representing Dr. Opuni highlighted the discrepancy, arguing that Dr. Adu-Ampomah’s omission was misleading and compromised the integrity of the investigation.

They pointed out that the report, despite being generated by the GSA’s Chemistry Department, was not included in the exhibits provided to the court.

Mrs. Baah Mante confirmed under cross-examination that the omitted report had been generated from a laboratory within her department and should have been part of the evidence submitted.

She acknowledged that the exclusion of this report hindered a comprehensive evaluation of the fertilizer’s efficacy and raised ethical concerns about transparency in the trial process.

The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 20, 2024, where further testimonies are expected to shed light on the allegations and provide clarity on the handling of critical evidence in the case.

The accused parties, including Dr. Opuni and Mr. Agongo, face multiple charges related to fraud, financial loss to the state, and violations of procurement regulations.