It has emerged in court that, the meeting in which the former Executive Director of CRIG, Dr F.M. Amoah, alleged that scientists were ordered to shorten the testing of fertilizers, did not discuss anything close to fertilizer, but a totally different subject bothering on his romantic relationship at CRIG that was giving the institution bad image in the media.
Dr Amoah, who is the first prosecution witness had alleged in court in 2018, during his evidence in chief, that after assuming office as the Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Dr Stephen Opuni, convened a meeting where he instructed them to shorten the testing of fertilizer at the time CRIG was testing lithovit foliar fertilizer.
One of the persons he mentioned as being present when the order was given was Dr Francis Baah, who is currently the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at COCOBOD, has vehemently denied the claim and disassociated himself from it.
Giving his evidence in chief on Wednesday, March 21, 2024, Dr Francis Baah ,told the High Court in Accra that he has never been in any meeting with Dr Amoah, where Dr Opuni, ordered scientists to shorten the testing of fertilizers.
Rather, he said, the meeting he remembered rather discussed the then Executive Director of CRIG on a disturbing issue of Dr Amoah’s love affair with a female staff of CRIG, which was being serialized in the media, and was denting the corporate image of CRIG and COCOBOD in general.
“On the 10th of October 2018, Dr. Franklin Amoah told this court that a meeting was held in August 2014 and at that meeting James Kofi Kutuatse in his capacity as Deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD was present and he himself, Dr. Franklin Amoah as Executive Director of CRIG and you Dr. Franklin Baah as the Executive Director of CHED met the first accused, Dr. Stephen Opuni, and some scientists.
Do you remember that meeting?” Dr Baah was asked by Counsel for Seidu Agongo, Benson Nutsukpui.
“No, I cannot recall there was a meeting but I recall a meeting with myself and Dr. Opuni and others, they were not scientists.
The subject matter of which was the bad press or bad publications about Dr. Amoah which publications were serialized.
I believe it was either Ghana Post or the P and P (People and Places) alleging some supposed amorous relationship between Dr. Amoah and a certain female staff of CRIG.
And the chief executive wanted firsthand information from Dr. Amoah,” he told the court.
Asked if a scientist Mr. Andrew Yaw Akrofi was at the said meeting, Dr Baah said he cannot recall.
“Dr Amoah alleged that at this meeting Dr. Opuni instructed the scientists to shorten the test period.
Were you at that meeting and did you hear that?” the witness was further asked.
But he insisted, “I am absolutely clear in my mind that I was not at any meeting that a subject like that was discussed.”
“Were you at any meeting while you served as the office manager of the chief executive and as the Executive Director of CHED where Dr. Opuni instructed that the test period of Lithovit fertiliser be shortened?” lawyer Nutsukpui asked.
Dr Baah maintained, “I cannot recall being at any meeting where the subject matter was discussed.”
He was also asked whether any issue about the testing of Lithovit ever came to his attention in all meetings, trainings or whatever as the Executive Director of CHED.
“No, the separation of duties of COCOBOD divisions and subsidiaries are as clear as day.
The testing of all agrochemicals including fertilisers and any other issues related thereof is solely in the bosom of CRIG, Akyem Tafo,” COCOBOD’s Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation stated emphatically.
Meanwhile, Dr Francis Baah, who also worked at CRIG for cumulatively 23 years told the court that the rise or dip in cocoa production, cannot be attributed to one particular fertilizer.
“No, the yield you get for cocoa is an expression of the relationship between the plant and the environment.
The environment includes rainfall, the nature of the soil, farmer practices and crop protection against pests and diseases, fertilisers and other variables,” he said.
He also said he would not blame my Chief Executive for the fall in cocoa production because the boss of COCOBOD does not have any control over the elements and factors that determine production including the world market Price.
Former COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo, as well as Agricult Ghana Limited, have been facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, corruption by public officers and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
