COCOBOD trial: Peter Osei Amoako chickens out
Director of finance at COCOBOD, Peter Osei Amoako had to eat back his words after claiming COCOBOD’s Entity Tender Committee was chaired by the Chief Executive even before 2016.
Testifying against former COCOBOD boss, Dr Stephen Opuni and two others, on Thursday, December 10, the witness was emphatic that the Public Procurement Act was clear on that.
“Sir, prior to 2016 was the Chief Executive a member of the Entity Tender Committee,” lawyer for one of the accused Seidu Agongo asked the 6th prosecution witness.
He answered, “My Lord, per my understanding the Chief Executive is the head of the Entity so he is a member of the Entity.”
AG’s witness ‘exonerates’ Seidu Agongo in COCOBOD trial Director of Finance at COCOBOD, Peter Osei Amoako has absolved Seidu Agongo, CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited, of any collusion leading to the award of contracts to supply Lithovit Liquid Fertilizer to COCOBOD between 2014 and 2016. The witness, on Thursday, told the High Court in Accra that suppliers including Agongo’s Agricult Ghana Limited play no role in the budgeting as well as the procurement plan when COCOBOD plans for the crop season. “Now Sir, no supplier of goods or services to COCOBOD ever plays any role in the consolidated budget and procurement plan processes at COCOBOD, that is correct?” Nutifafa Nutsukpui the counsel for Seidu Agongo, who is holding brief of Benson Nutsupui asked the witness.
COCOBOD trial: Prosecution witness exposed under cross-examination again
The 6th prosecution witness, Peter Osei Amoako, has been exposed by counsel for Seidu Agongo the CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited, for creating the impression that correspondence between COCOBOD and Public Procurement Authority (PPA) in February 2014 only centered on Lithovit Liquid Fertilizer.
It was revealed in court that COCOBOD’s letter to PPA dated 25th February 2014 seeking approval to sole source fertilizers for cocoa HITEC programme 2013/2014 had five other products/fertilizers listed.
The reply from PPA to COCOBOD also made mention of all the six fertilizers which included: 700,000 litres of Asaasewura from Wienco Ghana Ltd at the cost of GHC64,883,000; 500,000 litres of Cocoa Master for GHC50,120,000; 400,000 litres of Cocoa Feed at the stated price of GHC43,468,000; Sildaco 10:10:10; and 700,000 litres of Lithovit fertilizer at the cost of GHc43,120.000