Dr Alfred Arthur, a scientist at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), a department of COCOBOD, authorities’s 2d witness inside the crook trial of Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni and Alhaji Seidu Agongo, last Wednesday, concluded his testimony at an Accra High Court, making similarly revelations which contradicted the legal professional popular’s claims to the court docket.
But the maximum exquisite occasion at the day became Dr. Arthur’s admission that although he achieved a test in 2017 on Lithovit liquid fertilizer upon the request of a government probe, this professional document became no longer tended in proof via him to assist the attorney general’s claims against the agrochemical and the defendants.
Again, opposite to the Attorney-General’s role that Lithovit liquid fertilizer becomes a substandard product and not match for use by means of cocoa farmers, Dr. Arthur, in his testimony, disclosed that not even an unmarried farmer or legit of the Ghana Cocoa Board ever complained approximately the usage of Lithovit liquid fertilizer.
Dr. Arthur instructed the court docket that there has been no time in point in view that Lithovit fertilizer was added to farmers that the control at CRIG acquired terrible feedback at the product.
Interestingly, within the three-year length which the witness admitted that he became on the sphere, both to teach the farmers on new merchandise or on operation responsibilities, he said he by no means heard of Lithovit fertilizer.
Dr. Arthur becomes responding to questions below pass-examination from Mr. Benson Nutsukpui, suggest for businessman Seidu Agongo, the CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited, who is status trial together with a former CEO of COCOBOD Dr. Opuni.
Dr. Opuni and Mr. Agongo are facing 27 prices such as defrauding by means of false pretenses, willfully causing economic loss to the state, money laundering, corruption by way of a public officer and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
They have each pleaded now not responsible to the fees and are each on a GHS300,000 self-recognizance bail.
When Mr. Nutsukpui instructed him it is impossible for him to say to have labored in 6 out of the 7 cocoa areas without seeing the product, he replied, “My lord, it is very feasible”.
Dr. Arthur turned into again asked if it turned into proper that when the farmers have any hassle with a product, they complain “loudly”. “My Lord, throughout my work, we typically get those proceedings from farmers whilst we pass for re-evaluation for certificate renewal,” he replied. It became also pointed to him that so arguably turned into the Lithovit liquid fertilizer that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) had as a great deal as reviews on the product, but he denied knowledge of those reports.
