COCOBOD Saga: Claims About Opuni Trial Delay For Six Years Are False – Honyenuga
A Supreme Court judge, Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, conducting the trial of former COCOBOD CEO Dr Stephen Opuni, has hit back at critics saying that officials have been dragging their feet for six years.
According to him, these assertions are untrue.
Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame described the long time it takes for the courts to resolve corruption cases as unacceptable and unreasonable.
Citing the trial of former COCOBOD Chief Executive Officer Dr Stephen Opuni as an example, Mr Dame said such a situation deepens the injustice and inequity in society.
“We have witnessed the failure of the High Court to resolve the Opuni trial for the past six years. This is simply unacceptable,” he stated.
But Justice Honyenuga, who is sitting as an additional High Court Judge on the case, said the trial of Dr Opuni, businessman Seidu Agongo, and Agricult Ghana Limited started in May 2018, and that cannot be six years.
In court on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, while adjourning the case with “a heavy heart” following information that the second accused person, Seidu Agongo, had been taken ill at the 37 Military Hospital, the judge said he has got a limited time to deal with the case.
“I must state that it is very unfortunate that this case cannot proceed at the time when a lot of noise has been made about this case being delayed, and others say this case has been delayed for six years,” Justice Honyenuga remarked.
“Serious hearing started in 2018, so it cannot be six years. It is a fact that although the warrant for me to hear this case is dated March 16, 2018, the actual hearing of this case started in May 2018. Wherein lies the six years being talked about?” he queried.
Background
The former COCOBOD boss, Dr Opuni, and the CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited, an agrochemicals company, Seidu Agongo, are being tried over allegations of causing financial loss of more than GH₵271 million to the state.
The GH₵271 million alleged financial loss to the state is in respect of their engagement in illegalities in a series of fertiliser transactions, making the Attorney-General drag them to court in March 2018.
Agongo is alleged to have used fraudulent means to sell substandard fertiliser to COCOBOD for onward distribution to cocoa farmers.
Dr Opuni is also accused of facilitating the act by allowing Agongo’s products not to be tested and certified as required by law.
They have been charged with 27 counts, including allegedly engaging in illegalities leading to the distribution of sub-standard fertilisers to cocoa farmers.
The two have denied any wrongdoing, pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them, and are currently on a GH¢300,000 self-recognisance bail each.
Bribery Allegation
According to the facts of the case, Dr Opuni, on October 10, 2014, while he was the CEO of COCOBOD, agreed to permit his office to be influenced by an amount of GH₵25,000.
The second accused person, Mr Agongo, has also been accused of “endeavouring to influence the conduct of Stephen Kwabena Opuni in the performance of his duties as the CEO of COCOBOD by offering him an amount of GH₵25,000” on October 10, 2014.