The Attorney-General, Dominic Ayine, has withdrawn all charges against Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, the former CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), and businessman Seidu Agongo.
This came up in court on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, presided over by Justice Aboagye Tandoh.
Ms. Enam Loh Mensah, a state attorney, told the court that the AG had directed the withdrawal of all charges against the two accused.
In view of this, the state has filed a notice of withdrawal pursuant to the AG’s instructions.
The two former appointees were dragged to court by the previous administration on 27 counts.
They were standing trial for charges including defrauding by false pretences, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, and corruption by a public officer.
The case against the two, which started in 2018, revolved around the alleged procurement of substandard fertilisers for COCOBOD, resulting in financial losses to the state.
The prosecution alleged that Seidu Agongo’s company, Agricult Ghana Limited, supplied Lithovit Liquid Fertiliser to COCOBOD under questionable circumstances, with claims that the fertiliser was substandard and had not been tested or approved for use. Ghanaian culture-inspired products.
The former COCOBOD CEO, Dr. Opuni, was accused of facilitating the deal and bypassing established procurement processes, allegedly causing financial loss to the state and endangering the livelihoods of cocoa farmers.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
They were granted bail of GH₵300,000.00 each, pending the determination of the case.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
