{"id":409742,"date":"2018-03-14T11:49:16","date_gmt":"2018-03-14T11:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=409742"},"modified":"2018-03-14T16:47:42","modified_gmt":"2018-03-14T16:47:42","slug":"opuni-businessman-charged-for-causing-financial-loss-in-ghc43m-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2018\/03\/opuni-businessman-charged-for-causing-financial-loss-in-ghc43m-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Opuni, businessman charged for causing financial loss in Ghc43m deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Attorney General has filed some Twenty-Seven charges including a charge of causing financial loss to the state against former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni.<\/p>\n
He is being sued together with one Seidu Agongo, CEO of Zeera Group of Companies and Agricult Ghana Limited, beneficiaries of a supposed fraudulent contract worth Forty Three Million, One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Cedis (Ghc43, 120,000).<\/p>\n
The contract in question spanned the period 2013 to 2016. The defendants are to expected to make their first appearance in court on March 23.<\/p>\n
In all, the defendants will be answering Twenty-Seven charges including abetment of crime, defrauding by false pretence, conspiracy to commit crime and willfully causing financial loss to the state.<\/p>\n
According to the suit, Mr.\u00a0Agongo and Agricult Limited falsely obtained the amount between 2013 and November 2014 by representing COCOBOD to supply Lithovit Follar Fertilizer from Germany for application by farmers for the 2013\/2014\u00a0 cocoa season.<\/p>\n
The suit said ” Mr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni between November 2014 and November 2015 in Accra in the Greater Accra Region, abeted Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited to defraud Ghana COCOBOD\u00a0 of the sum of Ghc 75, 289, 314.72.”<\/p>\n
“Stephen Kwabena Opuni on the 10th of October 2014 in Accra, agreed to permit\u00a0 your conduct as the Chief Executive Officer\u00a0 of COCOBOD to be influenced with an amount of Twenty Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (Ghc25,000) from Seidu Agongo”.<\/p>\n
The state in the suit believes that the CEO of COCOBOD failed to satisfy the prescribed conditions for single-sourced procurement.\u00a0 The state also concluded that\u00a0 Seidu Agongo and Agricult sold misbranded fertilizer contrary to section 114(1(b) of the Plants and Fertilizer Act, 2010 (Act 803).<\/p>\n
Seidu Agongo is also accused of selling adulterated fertilizer contrary to section 114(1)(c) of the the Plants and Fertilizer Act, 2010 (Act 803).<\/p>\n
In fact, the state accuses Seidu Agongo of manufacturing the fertilizer in commercial quantities without registration,\u00a0 contrary to the law.<\/p>\n
Opuni\u2019s assets frozen<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr. Opuni, who was relieved of his post<\/a><\/strong> <\/span>in January 2017, had his assets including his accounts frozen<\/a><\/strong> by the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) in February that same year.<\/p>\n Although reasons for the seizure were not officially communicated, sources at the time hinted Citi News<\/strong> that EOCO was seeking to investigate the entire period he served as CEO of that critical state agency.<\/p>\n Opuni\u2019s tenure<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr. Opuni\u2019s tenure was engrossed in several allegations of corruption and mismanagement of the cocoa sector, with his critics accusing him of running down the critical sector; which generates revenue for the country and employs millions of Ghanaians.<\/p>\n As a former CEO of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Dr. Stephen K. Opuni was appointed by former President John Mahama on November 30, 2013, to head the COCOBOD.<\/p>\n He replaced Anthony Fofie, who headed COCOBOD from 2009.<\/p>\n Dr. Opuni\u2019s \u2018rot\u2019 killing cocoa sector \u2013 GAWU alleges<\/strong><\/p>\n In April 2016, the General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), and the Industrial Commercial Workers Unions (ICU), launched a scathing attack on the leadership of COCOBOD, accusing its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Stephen Opuni of presiding over corruption<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n GAWU and ICU said corruption at COCOBOD, headed by Dr. Stephen Opuni was affecting the production of cocoa in the country.<\/p>\n COCOBOD staff defends Opuni<\/strong><\/p>\n But some staff of COCOBOD at the time jumped his defence, insisting that, Dr. Opuni has not caused any disaffection within the ranks of COCOBOD as ICU and GAWU were alleging.<\/p>\n The Staff of the company thus served notice of withdrawing from the two unions, citing a growing mistrust between workers of COCOBOD and the unions.<\/p>\n