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A seasoned cocoa farmer, Thomas Amo Amankwaa has debunked the charges of causing financial loss to the state levelled against Dr. Stephen Opuni and Seidu Agongo.
Based on experience, he said, the efficacy of the Lithovit liquid fertilizer which is at the centre of the trial was way above other fertilizers he and his colleague farmers applied on their cocoa farms.
Mr. Amankwaa is the second cocoa farmer to have so far testified in court in the over four-year trial, and have all testified in favour of the accused persons. Whilst the first described Lithovit as a “messiah”, Mr. Amankwaa calls it a “great saviour”.
The witness has been answering questions under cross-examination led by Nutifafa Nutsukpui, who is holding brief for Benson Nutsukpui, on Thursday, May 26 at the High Court in Accra.
“As a result of the prosecution’s position that COCOBOD wasted its money in buying lithovit liquid fertiliser, the prosecution has brought second and third accused to be jailed or punished for causing financial loss to Ghana because they sold the litovit liquid fertiliser to COCOBOD. What will be your reaction sir?” Counsel asked.
Mr. Amankwaa replied: “My Lord, they have not caused financial loss to Ghana. This is because when we farmers used Lithovit liquid fertilizer, it gave us a lot of yields which we have never seen before.”
He stated further, ” The COCOBOD unit, CHED that supplied us with the fertiliser knows that it is very good. In 2017/2018, I went to CHED office to request for Lithovit liquid fertiliser to be used for my cocoa farms and the CHED officials told me that they are aware that it is very good but its supply has been ceased by the COCOBOD officers in Accra.”
BRING BACK LITHOVIT
The witness also recounted how he roamed the open market, wanting to buy Lithovit without success.
“My lord, we went to CHED office to demonstrate for the Lithovit fertiliser to be brought back because it helped us. The COCOBOD officials told me that this will not have any effect and that if we want we can go to radio stations and so I went to Akonoba FM in Sunyani, Chris FM in Berekum, Ahenfo FM in Berekum and Shalom FM in Berekum to appeal to the government to bring back Lithovit fertiliser because it helps give us good yield in our cocoa farms.
“My lord I am here not because of anything but to plead with the government to bring back Lithovit fertiliser because it really helped us.”
The witness who has been engaged in cocoa farming for the past 20 years reiterated that “it is not true that COCOBOD wasted money when it bought Lithovit liquid fertiliser… My lord Lithovit is a great saviour for farmers like myself and others who used Lithovit in the 2015/2016 cocoa season.”
Mr. Amankwaa has since tendered in evidence his passbook which contains details of all products received and the quality of cocoa produced by him as well as other information from Licenced Buying Companies.
In his evidence in chief on Wednesday, the witness narrated how his production jumped from 1,600kg of cocoa beans to 4,600kg when he first applied Lithovit liquid fertilizer.
The former COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr. Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo as well as Agricult Ghana Limited, are facing over 25 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, corruption by public officers and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
The trial judge, Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, a justice of the Supreme Court who is sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, adjourned the case to Monday, May 30, 2022.
